Method of signaling directional and omni-cot for frequencies between 52.6ghz and 71ghz

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to methods of signaling directional and omni-directional COT for frequencies between 52.6 GHz and 71 GHz. A wireless communication system can use higher layer signaling to send transmission configuration indicator (TCI) parameters for frequency bands including the 52.6 GHz to 71 GHz range. A DCI message can be used to indicate enabled TCI states for channel occupancy time (COT). The wireless communication system can apply the enabled TCI states for COT as indicated in the DCI message.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application with application number 202210350341.6, application date April 2, 2022, entitled "Method for Sending Signaling Notification for Directional and Omnidirectional COT of Frequency Between 52.6GHz and 71GHz". Technical Field

[0002] This application relates in its entirety to wireless communication systems, including indications of the Transmission Configuration Indicator (TCI) status for Channel Occupancy Time (COT). Background Technology

[0003] Wireless mobile communication technologies use various standards and protocols to transmit data between base stations and wireless mobile devices. Wireless communication system standards and protocols may include 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) (e.g., 4G) or New Radio (NR) (e.g., 5G); the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 standard, commonly referred to by the industry organization as Global Microwave Access Interoperability (WiMAX); and the IEEE 802.11 standard for Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), commonly referred to by the industry organization as Wi-Fi. In the 3GPP Radio Access Network (RAN) of an LTE system, base stations may include RAN nodes such as Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN) Node B (also commonly referred to as Evolved Node B, Enhanced Node B, eNodeB, or eNB) and / or the Radio Network Controller (RNC) in the E-UTRAN, which communicates with wireless communication equipment called User Equipment (UE). In fifth-generation (5G) wireless RANs, RAN nodes may include 5G nodes, NR nodes (also known as Next Generation Node B or gNodeB (gNB)).

[0004] The RAN uses Radio Access Technology (RAT) to communicate between RAN nodes and UEs. The RAN can include Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data Rate GSM Evolution (EDGE) RAN (GERAN), Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), and / or E-UTRAN, which provides access to communication services through the core network. Each RAN operates according to a specific 3GPP RAT. For example, GERAN implements the GSM and / or EDGE RAT, UTRAN implements the Universal System for Mobile Communications (UMTS) RAT or other 3GPP RATs, E-UTRAN implements the LTE RAT, and NG-RAN implements the 5G RAT. In some deployments, E-UTRAN may also implement the 5G RAT.

[0005] 5G NR frequency bands can be divided into two distinct frequency ranges. Frequency range 1 (FR1) may include bands operating below 6 GHz, some of which are available for previous standards and can potentially be extended to cover new spectrum offerings from 410 MHz to 7125 MHz. Frequency range 2 (FR2) may include bands from 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz. The bands in the millimeter wave (mmWave) range of FR2 may have a smaller range than those in FR1 but potentially higher available bandwidth. Those skilled in the art will recognize that these frequency ranges, presented by way of example, may vary over time or in different regions. Attached Figure Description

[0006] To facilitate identification of any particular element or action being discussed, one or more of the most significant digits in the reference numerals refer to the drawing number in which the element was first introduced.

[0007] Figure 1 A base station performing directional LBT and omnidirectional LBT according to one implementation scheme is shown.

[0008] Figure 2 This is a simplified signal flow diagram based on one implementation for determining the TCI state of COT in the 52.6 GHz to 71 GHz range.

[0009] Figure 3A A bit field that can be used in a DCI for type-1 LBT in multiple CCs is shown according to one embodiment.

[0010] Figure 3B A bit field that can be used in a DCI for type 2 LBT in multiple CCs is shown according to one embodiment.

[0011] Figure 4 It is a simplified signal flow diagram based on one implementation scheme for determining the TCI state for uplink (UL) COT in the 52.6 GHz to 71 GHz range for uplink dynamic grant (DG) transmission.

[0012] Figure 5 It is a simplified signal flow diagram based on one implementation scheme for determining the TCI status for uplink (UL) COT in the 52.6 GHz to 71 GHz range for UL configuration authorization (CG) transmission.

[0013] Figure 6 A system according to one implementation is shown.

[0014] Figure 7 An infrastructure setup according to one implementation scheme is shown.

[0015] Figure 8 A platform based on one implementation scheme is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0016] Frequency outside of traditional New Radio (NR) frequencies (e.g., outside of FR1 and FR2) may be of interest to implementers of NR devices. For example, frequencies between 52.6 GHz and 71 GHz may be of particular interest due to the proximity of frequencies to 52.6 GHz (the upper limit of FR2) and / or the unlicensed nature of at least some of that spectrum (e.g., between 57 GHz and 71 GHz). These (or other) frequencies can be used to establish / carry one or more channels, depending on the transmission capacity of the wireless transmission system (e.g., bandwidth that can be used for signaling notifications between devices).

[0017] Therefore, a channel access mechanism can be defined for accessing / establishing channels in this (or another) frequency range outside of FR1 and FR2, allowing NR equipment implementers to configure their NR equipment to use channels in that (or another) frequency range. For example, in some implementations, the channel access mechanism may assume beam-based operation to comply with regulatory requirements. For example, the channel access mechanism can be used to control access to channels, for example, in the 52.6 GHz to 71 GHz range (or another range). This channel access mechanism can be configured to comply with regulatory requirements applicable to any unlicensed spectrum within that frequency range. The channel access mechanism can specify both a Listen-Before-Speak (LBT) related process and a non-LBT related process. For the non-LBT case, no additional sensing mechanism may be specified. In some countries, the LBT process is mandatory. In other countries, LBT mandatoryness may not exist. Therefore, both LBT and non-LBT should be supported.

[0018] Furthermore, it is anticipated that in NR systems, transmission can utilize multiple transmit (Tx) antennas in many cases. Multiple antennas can be used for omnidirectional or directional beamforming. Therefore, it is necessary to specify whether the NR system uses an omnidirectional LBT or a directional LBT.

[0019] NR systems can provide transmission information through various methods. Downlink Control Information (DCI) messages are one way for NR systems to provide information to User Equipment (UE). For example, DCI format 2-0 can be used to indicate time slot format, available resource block (RB) set, channel occupancy time (COT) duration, and to indicate search space for UE power saving. Some embodiments described herein expand on DCI format 2-0 to provide Transport Configuration Indicator (TCI) status indication. Additionally, embodiments described herein can use higher-layer signaling, such as System Information Block (SIB) messages sent via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, to configure TCI status indication parameters.

[0020] Figure 1 Base stations (e.g., network nodes 108a, 108b, and 108c) performing directional LBT and omnidirectional LBT are shown. In some implementations, the LBT beam and the transmission beam are explicitly associated. When sensing using (quasi-)omnidirectional LBT, transmission can occur in any direction. When sensing using directional LBT, the transmission beam should be associated with the LBT beam. Although Figure 1 Downlink channel transmission is shown, but uplink transmission COT can also be assigned if authorized.

[0021] In unidirectional scenario 102, network node 108a performs a directional LBT procedure for transmission to the UE on the expected transmission beam. Once the directional LBT procedure is performed, network node 108a acquires a channel in the direction of the expected transmission beam for COT. In other words, network node 108a can restrict its channel usage accompanying channel acquisition to use the expected transmission beam during COT. After network node 108a uses directional LBT to acquire a channel in the direction of the expected transmission beam for COT, base station 202 can use COT to perform one or more transmissions to the UE on the expected Tx beam.

[0022] Similarly, in multi-directional scenario 104, directional LBT can be used in multiple directions for transmissions to multiple UEs on multiple (corresponding) expected transmission beams. In one implementation, network node 108b performs directional LBT for both transmissions to a first UE on a first expected transmission beam and transmissions to a second UE on a second expected Tx beam. After network node 108b uses directional LBT to acquire channels for COT in the directions of the first expected transmission beam and the second expected Tx beam, network node 108b can use COT to perform one or more transmissions to the first UE and the second UE.

[0023] Additionally, network node 108c can use omnidirectional scenario 106 to perform an omnidirectional LBT process to communicate with multiple UEs via an associated omnidirectional COT. After network node 108c uses omnidirectional LBT to obtain the channel of the expected transmission beam for the COT, base station 202 can use the COT to perform one or more transmissions to the UE on the expected Tx beam.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a simplified signaling procedure 200 for determining the TCI state for COT in the 52.6 GHz to 71 GHz range. Network node 204 can configure the TCI state for COT using higher-level signaling (such as RRC signaling) and DCI messages.

[0025] In the illustrated implementation, network node 204 configures 206 SIB to provide information to UE 202. The SIB may include LBT-related parameters. For example, network node 204 may set LBT-related parameters in an LBT configuration element. In some implementations, the LBT configuration element may be named lbt-ConfigCommon. The LBT configuration element lbt-ConfigCommon may include multiple LBT-related parameters. The LBT configuration element may include a parameter indicating whether LBT can be used or no LBT can be used. This parameter may depend on local regulations. The LBT configuration element may also include a parameter indicating the LBT type. For example, the LBT type parameter may indicate whether directional, omnidirectional, or a combination of both are used for LBT. Additionally, the LBT type parameter may indicate whether receiver assistance is enabled.

[0026] LBT configuration elements may also include parameters related to the LBT beam TCI state. For example, the TCI state information parameter may include the maximum LBT beam value. For instance, the parameter may indicate whether eight or four beams will be used depending on the LBT beam width. The parameter may also include a TCI state identifier and a quasi-co-address (QCL) type. The QCL type may be Type A, Type D, or both Type A and Type D. Additionally, the parameter may indicate a reference signal association (e.g., a synchronization signal block (SSB) or a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS)). The mapping between LBT beams and reference signals can be one-to-one or one-to-many. In some embodiments, the TCI state may be the sense beam TCI state, and the UE may derive the COT's transmission TCI state based on the sense beam-to-transmit beam mapping configured in the RRC. In some embodiments, the TCI state may be the transmission beam TCI state.

[0027] In some implementations, if the LBT configuration element is not configured in the SIB, UE 202 and network node 204 can use default values. For example, in some implementations, the default value may correspond to an omnidirectional LBT. In some implementations, LBT configuration can be transmitted using a UE-specific RRC message (e.g., lbt-ConfigDedicated).

[0028] Network node 204 can transmit SIB 208 to UE 202. When UE 202 receives the SIB, UE 202 can decode 210 the SIB to determine LBT-related parameters, including TCI status parameters.

[0029] Network node 204 can be configured with 212 DCI messages, such as DCI format 2-0. The DCI message indicates the enabled TCI state for Channel Occupancy Time (COT). Network node 204 can be configured to use bit fields to indicate the TCI state in the DCI message. In some implementations, the bit field may be absent in the DCI message if omnidirectional sensing is enabled by default and if omnidirectional sensing is configured.

[0030] If a directional LBT is configured in the SIB (e.g., lbt-ConfigCommon is configured), network node 204 can configure DCI messages to indicate the TCI state. The DCI message can enable a bit field for the maximum number of enabled sensing TCI states. The length of the bit field can correspond to the number of TCI states and indicate the enabled TCI states. In other words, the bit field can indicate the corresponding TCI state for that COT, specifying which LBT beam direction is used during the sensing period. When used with a unified TCI state framework, the indicated COT TCI state can be applied to the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), and CSI-RS / Sound Reference Signal (SRS). In some implementations, if a TCI is activated only via higher-layer signaling (e.g., the SIB), UE 202 can directly apply the TCI and may not have a TCI in the DCI.

[0031] If both the directional LBT and omnidirectional LBT are configured in the SIB (e.g., in lbt-ConfigCommon), network node 204 can enable the bit fields in the DCI message for the maximum TCI state plus another bit for the omnidirectional LBT. In some implementations, a default TCI value in the DCI bit fields can indicate the omnidirectional LBT. In some implementations, if omnidirectional sensing is performed before COT, the omnidirectional LBT bit can be set to 1, and the other bit field for the directional LBT can be ignored. In some implementations, if directional sensing is performed before COT, the omnidirectional LBT bit can be set to zero, and the LBT beam corresponding to the TCI bit in the bit fields for the directional LBT can be set to 1.

[0032] In some implementations, a Media Access Control Element (MAC CE) can be used to enable LBT configuration for signaling notifications in the SIB. In some implementations, a MAC CE can be used instead of a DCI message. In other implementations, network node 204 can use a combination of DCI format and MAC CE to enable LBT configuration for sending signaling notifications in the SIB.

[0033] The TCI state, signaled in the DCI message, can be used to indirectly or directly indicate the transmission beam. For example, in one implementation, the DCI message can indicate the LBT beam (sensing beam direction), and UE 202 can derive the transmission beam from the sensing beam associated with the reference signal. Therefore, UE 202 can indirectly determine the transmission beam direction. In another implementation, the DCI message can directly indicate the transmission beam TCI state.

[0034] UE 202 can decode message 216 (DCI) and determine the enabled TCI state for COT. Network node 204 can enable message 218 (TCI state for COT) to facilitate data transmission.

[0035] DCI messages (e.g., DCI format 2-0) can also be applied to LBTs in multiple component carriers (CCs) within the 52.6 GHz to 71 GHz range. To send a DCI message, a Clear Channel Assessment (CCA) can be performed. CCA is used to determine whether a wireless transmission system is permitted to access the channel. Generally, if a wireless transmission system finds the operating channel occupied, the network may not transmit on that channel, and the network should not allow other equipment to transmit on that channel. Conversely, if it is determined that the CC is not occupied, the wireless transmission system can use the CC.

[0036] The LBT procedure for CCA on multiple CCs can be of one of two types. Therefore, the bit fields indicating the TCI status of the DCI message can differ based on the type of LBT procedure. The first type of LBT procedure can be... Figure 3A The bit field 300a in the code supports this, and the second type of LBT procedure can be performed by... Figure 3B The 300b bit field is supported.

[0037] Figure 3A The bit field 300a is shown as a possible bit field in a DCI used for a Type 1 LBT across multiple CCs. In Type 1, the network node selects a random CC from a plurality of CCs and then performs an LBT procedure for a CCA on that random CC. If it is determined that the random CC is idle, transmissions on all CCs across the plurality of CCs can be performed after an LBT on another CC. Therefore, the network node can configure and transmit DCI messages (e.g., DCI format 2-0).

[0038] DCI messages can be transmitted in any CC. For example, a DCI message can be sent in a random CC in which an LBT CCA procedure has been successfully performed. The DCI message can indicate the COT TCI status (omnidirectional or directional) to apply to all CCs. For example, a DCI format 2-0 message may include a bit field 300a indicating the TCI status. The bit field may include an omnidirectional bit 302 and bits associated with each potential TCI status configured in the SIB. The bits in bit field 300a can indicate which COT TCI status is enabled. The COT TCI status enabled by bit field 300a can be applied to all CCs, not just the CC in which the DCI message was sent.

[0039] For this first type of LBT procedure, the UE receiving the DCI message including bit field 300a can decode the DCI message to determine the TCI state indicated in bit field 300a. If directed LBT is enabled and the TCI state indicated by the DCI message is not included in the UE's active TCI state list (e.g., configured via SIB through RRC signaling), the UE can skip monitoring COT for UE power saving. The UE can also stop the LBT counter to avoid contention for radio resources and interference with network nodes. For example, the UE can set a Network Allocation Vector (NAV) timer.

[0040] In some implementations, a similar LBT procedure can be performed when multiple band groups are configured. For example, a random CC can be selected from a list of CCs configured by higher-level signaling. A random CC can be selected for each band or each band group. If the random CC is idle, all CCs within the band can be used for transmission. A DCI message including bit field 300a can be used to indicate the enabled COT TCI status (omnidirectional or directional) for all CCs, CCs within a band, or CCs within a band group.

[0041] Figure 3B The bit field 300b is shown as a DCI that can be used for Type 2 LBT in multiple CCs. In Type 2, network nodes independently perform the LBT CCA process. This enables the generation of different combinations of LBT beams based on determining which CCs are idle and which are not idle.

[0042] In some implementations, network nodes can send a DCI message including a TCI status indication in each CC that successfully completes the LBT CCA process. Each DCI message can be personalized for a specific CC. Therefore, the TCI status indication in the DCI message will only apply to the associated CC. It can be used and sent in each CC. Figure 3B The bit field is similar to bit field 300a in the example.

[0043] In other implementations, the DCI message can be sent to one of the idle CCs. The DCI message can specify the list of cell groups and the TCI status indication for each cell group. For example, the DCI message may include a bit field 300b, which includes a TCI status bit and an omnidirectional bit for each Scell ​​group.

[0044] For this second type of LBT procedure, the UE receiving the DCI message can monitor the corresponding CC using omnidirectional LBT or the TCI state indicated by the DCI message (included in the UE's active TCI state list). Additionally, the UE can set an NAV timer.

[0045] In some implementations, the TCI state procedures discussed herein can be applied to wireless communication systems that enable multiple transmit and receive points (mTRPs). When mTRPs are enabled in the 52.6 GHz to 71 GHz frequency band, the CCA sensing process in the mTRP can be of one of two types. The first type of CCA sensing for the mTRP can randomly select a transmit and receive point (TRP) and perform a CCA LBT process. After completion, a CCA LBT process for one TRP transmission from each of the respective TRPs can begin. This first type of CCA sensing can be applied only to omnidirectional LBTs.

[0046] The second CCA sensing type for mTRP can include performing a CCA LBT procedure on each TRP within each TRP. Systems with mTRP enabled can coordinate the start time of the CCA LBT procedure and a random number of time slots used for sensing. If the CCA LBT procedures for two mTRPs complete simultaneously, a DCI message (e.g., DCI format 2-0) can be used to signal the TCI status used in LBT sensing for both TRPs. If one or both TRPs are busy, the network can stop the LBT counter to ensure synchronized mTRP transmission. Asynchronous mTRP may not be supported in some MIMO designs. If one TRP starts transmitting while the other TRP is still in an LBT process, COT may not be able to start independently of the other TRP.

[0047] Figure 4 This is a simplified signaling flowchart 400 for determining the TCI state for uplink (UL) COT in the 52.6 GHz to 71 GHz range for uplink dynamic grant (DG) transmission. As shown, UE 402 transmits a scheduling request 406 to network node 404. Network node 404 can configure uplink DCI 410 408. The UL DCI can explicitly indicate the sensing beam (directional or omnidirectional) for DGPUSCH 414. For example, uplink DCI 410 may include a new bit indicating the sensing beam. UE can decode 412 UL DCI to determine the TCI state for UL COT. If the sensing beam is explicitly indicated, UE 402 uses the indicated beam to transmit DG PUSCH 414. If no bit is configured in UL DCI 410, UE 402 can make UL COT beam sensing follow the currently active TCI state used in beam management.

[0048] Figure 5This is a simplified signaling flowchart 500 for determining the TCI state for uplink (UL) COT in the 52.6 GHz to 71 GHz range for UL configuration grant (CG) transmission. As shown, network node 504 can configure 506 and transmit 508 an RRC configuration message to UE 502. The RRC configuration message for CG (e.g., ConfiguredGrantConfig) can instruct UE 502 whether to perform directional LBT or omnidirectional LBT, or whether the UE should acquire the CG COT. UE 502 can decode 510 an RRC configuration message to determine the TCI state. If the RRC configuration message indicates directional LBT, UE 502 can use the currently active TCI state indicated in the RRC configuration message to perform directional LBT for a transmission burst with a specific Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) and beam direction. If the RRC configuration message indicates omnidirectional LBT, UE 502 can perform omnidirectional LBT. Omnidirectional LBT can be the default, so that the UE performs omnidirectional LBT if directional LBT is not indicated in the RRC configuration.

[0049] In some implementations, the sensing beam and / or transmission beam direction can be signaled via CG-Uplink Control Information (UCI). The UE can transmit 512 CG-UCI on the CG PUSCH. The CG-UCI content may include HARQ ID, New Data Indicator (NDI), Redundancy Version (RV), and COT sharing information. The COT sharing information may include COT duration and offset, as well as TCI state. Network node 504 can share the COT sharing information in the CG-UCI for PDCCH / PDSCH transmission within the TCI state.

[0050] Figure 6 Exemplary architectures of network system 600 according to various implementations are shown. The following description is provided for example system 600 operating in combination with LTE system standards and 5G or NR system standards provided by 3GPP technical specifications. However, the exemplary implementations are not limited in this respect, and the implementations can be applied to other networks that benefit from the principles described herein, such as future 3GPP systems (e.g., sixth generation (6G)) systems, IEEE 802.16 protocols (e.g., WMAN, WiMAX, etc.), etc.

[0051] like Figure 6As shown, system 600 includes UE 622 and UE 620. In this example, UE 622 and UE 620 are shown as smartphones (e.g., handheld touchscreen mobile computing devices capable of connecting to one or more cellular networks), but may also include any mobile or non-mobile computing device. In some embodiments, UE 622 and / or UE 620 may be IoT UEs, which may include a network access layer designed to utilize low-power IoT applications with short-lived UE connections.

[0052] UE 622 and UE 620 can be configured to connect to an access node or radio access node (shown as (R)AN 608), for example, communicatively coupled. In embodiments, (R)AN 608 can be an NG RAN or SG RAN, E-UTRAN, or a legacy RAN such as UTRAN or GERAN. As used herein, the term "NG RAN," etc., can refer to (R)AN 608 operating in an NR or SG system, and the term "E-UTRAN," etc., can refer to (R)AN 608 operating in an LTE or 4G system. UE 622 and UE 620 utilize connections (or channels) (shown as connection 604 and connection 602, respectively), each connection including a physical communication interface or layer (discussed in further detail below).

[0053] In this example, connections 604 and 602 are air interfaces for communication coupling and are compatible with cellular communication protocols such as GSM, CDMA, PTT, POC, UMTS, 3GPP LTE, SG, NR, and / or any other communication protocols discussed herein. In an implementation, UE 622 and UE 620 may also exchange communication data directly via ProSe interface 610. ProSe interface 610 may alternatively be referred to as sidelink (SL) interface 110 and may include one or more logical channels, including but not limited to PSCCH, PSSCH, PSDCH, and PSBCH.

[0054] UE 620 is shown configured to access AP 612 (also known as a "WLAN node," "WLAN," "WLAN terminal," "WT," etc.) via connection 624. Connection 624 may include local wireless connectivity, such as a connection consistent with any IEEE 802.11 protocol, where AP 612 will include Wi-Fi. ® Router. In this example, AP 612 can connect to the Internet but is not connected to the core network of the wireless system (described in further detail below).

[0055] (R)AN 608 may include one or more AN nodes, such as RAN node 614 and RAN node 616, that implement connection 604 and connection 602. As used herein, the terms “access node,” “access point,” etc., can describe equipment that provides radio baseband functionality for data and / or voice connections between the network and one or more users. These access nodes may be referred to as BS, gNB, RAN node, eNB, NodeB, RSU, TRxP, or TRP, etc., and may include ground stations (e.g., terrestrial access points) or satellite stations that provide coverage within a geographic area (e.g., a cell). As used herein, the terms “NG RAN node,” etc., can refer to a RAN node (e.g., gNB) operating in an NR or SG system, while the terms “E-UT RAN node,” etc., can refer to a RAN node (e.g., eNB) operating in an LTE or 4G system 600. According to various implementation schemes, RAN node 614 or RAN node 616 may be implemented as one or more of dedicated physical devices such as macro cell base stations and / or low-power (LP) base stations for providing smaller coverage areas, smaller user capacity or higher bandwidth compared to macro cells.

[0056] According to various implementations, UE 622 and UE 620, as well as RAN node 614 and / or RAN node 616, transmit (e.g., transmit and receive) data via licensed media (also referred to as “licensed spectrum” and / or “licensed band”) and unlicensed shared media (also referred to as “unlicensed spectrum” and / or “unlicensed band”). Licensed spectrum may include channels operating in the frequency range of approximately 400 MHz to approximately 3.8 GHz, while unlicensed spectrum may include a 5 GHz band.

[0057] To operate in unlicensed spectrum, UEs 622 and 620, along with RAN node 614 or RAN node 616, may use LAA, eLAA, and / or feLAA mechanisms. In these specific implementations, UEs 622 and 620, along with RAN node 614 or RAN node 616, may perform one or more known media sensing and / or carrier sensing operations to determine whether one or more channels in the unlicensed spectrum are unavailable or otherwise occupied before transmission in the unlicensed spectrum. Media / carrier sensing operations may be performed according to a Listen-After-Speak (LBT) protocol.

[0058] LBT is a mechanism by which equipment (e.g., UE 622 and UE 620, RAN node 614 or RAN node 616, etc.) senses a medium (e.g., a channel or carrier frequency) and transmits when that medium is sensed to be idle (or when a specific channel in that medium is sensed to be unoccupied). The medium sensing operation may include CCA, which utilizes at least ED to determine the presence of other signals on the channel in order to determine whether the channel is occupied or idle. This LBT mechanism allows cellular / LAA networks to coexist with existing systems in unlicensed spectrum and with other LAA networks. ED may include sensing RF energy in the intended transmission band over a period of time and comparing the sensed RF energy with a predefined or configured threshold.

[0059] Typically, existing systems in the 5GHz band are WLANs based on IEEE 802.11 technology. WLANs employ a contention-based channel access mechanism called CSMA / CA. Here, when a WLAN node (e.g., a mobile station (MS) such as UE 622, AP612, etc.) intends to transmit, the WLAN node can first perform CCA before transmitting. Additionally, in cases where more than one WLAN node senses the channel as idle and transmits simultaneously, a backoff mechanism is used to avoid collisions. This backoff mechanism can be a counter randomly introduced within the CWS, which increases exponentially upon collision and resets to a minimum value upon successful transmission. The LBT mechanism designed for LAA is somewhat similar to WLAN's CSMA / CA. In some specific implementations, the LBT process for DL ​​or UL transmission bursts (including PDSCH or PUSCH transmissions) can have a variable-length LAA contention window between the X and Y ECCA time slots, where X and Y are the minimum and maximum values ​​of the LAA's CWS. In one example, the minimum CWS for LAA transmission can be 9 microseconds (µs); however, the size of the CWS and MCOT (e.g., transmission burst) can be based on government regulatory requirements.

[0060] The LAA mechanism is built upon the CA technology of LTE-Advanced systems. In CA, each aggregated carrier is called a CC. A CC can have a bandwidth of 1.4MHz, 3MHz, 5MHz, 10MHz, 15MHz, or 20MHz, and a maximum of five CCs can be aggregated, thus the maximum aggregated bandwidth is 100MHz. In FDD systems, the number of aggregated carriers can differ for DL ​​and UL, where the number of UL CCs is equal to or less than the number of DL component carriers. In some cases, individual CCs can have different bandwidths than the other CCs. In TDD systems, the number of CCs and the bandwidth of each CC are usually the same for DL ​​and UL.

[0061] The CA also includes individual serving cells to provide individual CCs. The coverage of serving cells can differ, for example, because CCs on different frequency bands will experience different path losses. The primary serving cell, or PCell, provides PCCs for both UL and DL and handles activities related to RRC and NAS. Other serving cells are called SCells, and each SCell provides individual SCCs for both UL and DL. SCCs can be added and removed as needed, while changing the PCC may require the UE to undergo a handover. In LAA, eLAA, and feLAA, some or all of the SCells can operate in unlicensed spectrum (referred to as "LAA SCells"), and LAA SCells are assisted by PCells operating in licensed spectrum. When a UE is configured to have more than one LAA SCell, the UE can receive UL grants on the configured LAA SCells, indicating different PUSCH start positions within the same subframe.

[0062] The PDSCH carries user data and higher-layer signaling to UEs 622 and 620. Among other information, the PDCCH carries information about the transmission format and resource allocation related to the PDSCH channel. It can also inform UEs 622 and 620 about the transmission format, resource allocation, and HARQ information related to the uplink shared channel. Typically, downlink scheduling (allocating control and shared channel resource blocks to UE 620 within the cell) can be performed at either RAN node 614 or RAN node 616 based on channel quality information fed back from either UE 622 or UE 620. Downlink resource allocation information can be transmitted on the PDCCH used (e.g., allocated to) each of UEs 622 and UE 620.

[0063] PDCCH uses CCEs to transmit control information. Before being mapped to resource elements, the complex-valued symbols of the PDCCH can first be organized into quadruplets, which can then be arranged using a sub-block interleaver for rate matching. One or more of these CCEs can be used to transmit each PDCCH, where each CCE can correspond to nine sets, called REGs, each with four physical resource elements. Four Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) symbols can be mapped to each REG. Depending on the DCI size and channel conditions, one or more CCEs can be used to transmit the PDCCH. Four or more different PDCCH formats defined in LTE with different numbers of CCEs (e.g., aggregation levels, L=1, 2, 4, or 8) can exist.

[0064] Some implementations may use the concept of resource allocation for control channel information, which is an extension of the above concept. For example, some implementations may utilize EPDCCH, which uses PDSCH resources for control information transmission. One or more ECCEs may be used to transmit EPDCCH. Similarly, each ECCE may correspond to a set of nine, each consisting of four physical resource elements, called EREG. In some cases, an ECCE may have a different number of EREGs.

[0065] RAN node 614 or RAN node 616 can be configured to communicate with each other via interface 630.

[0066] In implementations where system 600 is an SG or NR system (e.g., when CN 606 is an SGC), interface 630 may be an Xn interface. The Xn interface is defined between two or more RAN nodes connected to the SGC (e.g., two or more gNBs, etc.), between a RAN node 614 (e.g., a gNB) connected to the SGC and an eNB, and / or between two eNBs connected to the 5GC (e.g., CN 606). In some specific implementations, the Xn interface may include an Xn user plane (Xn-U) interface and an Xn control plane (Xn-C) interface. Xn-U provides non-guaranteed delivery of user plane PDUs and supports / provides data forwarding and flow control functions. Xn-C provides management and error handling functions for managing the functionality of the Xn-C interface; mobility support for UE 622 in connected modes (e.g., CM-CONNECTED) includes functions for managing UE mobility in connected modes between one or more RAN nodes 614 or RAN nodes 616. This mobility support may include context transfer from the old (source) serving RAN node 614 to the new (destination) serving RAN node 616; and control of the user plane tunnel between the old (source) serving RAN node 614 and the new (destination) serving RAN node 616. The Xn-U protocol stack may include a transport network layer built on top of the Internet Protocol (IP) transport layer, and a GTP-U layer on top of the UDP and / or IP layers for carrying user plane PDUs. The Xn-C protocol stack may include an application layer signaling protocol (referred to as the Xn Application Protocol (Xn-AP)) and a transport network layer built on top of SCTP. SCTP may be on top of the IP layer and provides guaranteed delivery of application layer messages. In the transport IP layer, point-to-point transmission is used to deliver signaling PDUs. In other specific implementations, the Xn-U protocol stack and / or the Xn-C protocol stack may be the same as or similar to the user plane and / or control plane protocol stacks shown and described herein.

[0067] (R)AN 608 is shown as a communication-coupled ground to the core network—in this embodiment, communication-coupled to CN 606. CN 606 may include one or more network elements 632 configured to provide various data and telecommunications services to customers / subscribers (e.g., users of UE 622 and UE 620) connected to CN 606 via (R)AN 608. Components of CN 606 may be implemented in a single physical node or in separate physical nodes, including components for reading and executing instructions from machine-readable or computer-readable media (e.g., non-transitory machine-readable storage media). In some embodiments, NFV may be used to virtualize any or all of the aforementioned network node functions via executable instructions stored in one or more computer-readable storage media (described in further detail below). A logical instance of CN 606 may be referred to as a network slice, and a logical instance of a portion of CN 606 may be referred to as a network subslice. NFV architectures and infrastructure may be used to virtualize one or more network functions onto physical resources comprising a combination of industry-standard server hardware, storage hardware, or switches (or alternatively, performed by proprietary hardware). In other words, an NFV system can be used to perform a virtual or reconfigurable concrete implementation of one or more EPC components / functions.

[0068] Generally, application server 618 can be a component that provides IP bearer resources for applications to use with the core network (e.g., UMTS PS domain, LTE PS data service, etc.). Application server 618 can also be configured to support one or more communication services for UE 622 and UE 620 via EPC (e.g., VoIP sessions, PTT sessions, group communication sessions, social networking services, etc.). Application server 618 can communicate with CN 606 via IP communication interface 636.

[0069] In this implementation, CN 606 may be an SGC, and (R)AN 116 may be connected to CN 634 via NG interface 606. In this implementation, NG interface 634 may be divided into two parts: an NG user plane (NG-U) interface 626, which carries traffic data between RAN node 614 or RAN node 616 and the UPF; and an S1 control plane (NG-C) interface 628, which is the signaling interface between RAN node 614 or RAN node 616 and the AMF.

[0070] In one implementation, CN 606 may be an SG CN, while in other implementations, CN 606 may be an EPC. When CN 606 is an EPC, (R)AN 116 may be connected to CN 606 via S1 interface 634. In one implementation, S1 interface 634 may be divided into two parts: an S1 user plane (S1-U) interface 626, which carries traffic data between RAN node 614 or RAN node 616 and the S-GW; and an S1-MME interface 628, which is the signaling interface between RAN node 614 or RAN node 616 and the MME.

[0071] Figure 7 Examples of infrastructure equipment 700 according to various implementation schemes are shown. Infrastructure equipment 700 may be implemented as a base station, radio head unit, RAN node, AN, application server, and / or any other element / device discussed herein. In other examples, infrastructure equipment 700 may be in or implemented by a UE.

[0072] Infrastructure equipment 700 includes application circuitry 702, baseband circuitry 704, one or more radio front-end modules 706 (RFEM), memory circuitry 708, a power management integrated circuit (shown as PMIC 710), a power tee circuitry 712, network controller circuitry 714, a network interface connector 720, satellite positioning circuitry 716, and user interface circuitry 718. In some embodiments, infrastructure equipment 700 may include additional components such as memory / storage devices, displays, cameras, sensors, or input / output (I / O) interfaces. In other embodiments, these components may be included in more than one device. For example, the circuitry may be individually included in more than one device for CRAN, vBBU, or other similar specific implementations. Application circuitry 702 includes, but is not limited to, one or more processors (or processor cores), cache memory, and one or more low-dropout regulators (LDOs), an interrupt controller, and serial interfaces such as SPI, I... 2The application circuit 702 may include a C or general-purpose programmable serial interface module, a real-time clock (RTC), a timer-counter including an interval timer and a watchdog timer, general-purpose input / output (I / O or IO), a memory card controller such as a Secure Digital (SD) Multimedia Card (MMC) or similar, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, a Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI) interface, and a Joint Test Access Group (JTAG) test access port. The processor (or core) of the application circuit 702 may be coupled to or may include a memory / storage element and may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory / storage device to enable various applications or operating systems to run on the infrastructure apparatus 700. In some specific implementations, the memory / storage element may be on-chip memory circuitry that may include any suitable volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as DRAM, SRAM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, solid-state memory, and / or any other type of memory device technology, such as those discussed herein.

[0073] The processor of application circuit 702 may include, for example, one or more processor cores (CPU), one or more application processors, one or more graphics processing units (GPUs), one or more reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processors, one or more Acorn RISC machine (ARM) processors, one or more complex instruction set computing (CISC) processors, one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), one or more FPGAs, one or more PLDs, one or more ASICs, one or more microprocessors or controllers, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0074] In some embodiments, application circuitry 702 may include one or more hardware accelerators, which may be microprocessors, programmable processing devices, etc. These hardware accelerators may include, for example, computer vision (CV) and / or deep learning (DL) accelerators. For example, programmable processing devices may be one or more field-programmable devices (FPDs), such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs); programmable logic devices (PLDs), such as complex PLDs (CPLDs), high-capacity PLDs (HCPLDs); ASICs, such as structured ASICs; programmable SoCs (PSoCs); and so on. In such embodiments, the circuitry of application circuitry 702 may include logic blocks or logic architectures, and other interconnect resources that can be programmed to perform various functions such as processes, methods, functions, etc., as discussed in the various embodiments herein. In such embodiments, the circuitry of application circuitry 702 may include memory cells (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, static memory (e.g., static random access memory (SRAM), fuses, etc.)) for storing logic blocks, logic architectures, data, etc., in lookup tables (LUTs). Baseband circuitry 704 may be implemented, for example, as a soldered substrate comprising one or more integrated circuits, a single-package integrated circuit soldered to a main circuit board, or a multi-chip module containing two or more integrated circuits.

[0075] User interface circuitry 718 may include one or more user interfaces designed to enable a user to interact with infrastructure equipment 700 or peripheral component interfaces, wherein the peripheral component interfaces are designed to enable peripheral components to interact with infrastructure equipment 700. User interfaces may include, but are not limited to, one or more physical or virtual buttons (e.g., a reset button), one or more indicators (e.g., light-emitting diodes (LEDs)), a physical keyboard or keypad, a mouse, a touchpad, a touchscreen, a speaker or other audio transmitting device, a microphone, a printer, a scanner, a headset, a display screen or display device, etc. Peripheral component interfaces may include, but are not limited to, non-volatile memory ports, universal serial bus (USB) ports, audio jacks, power interfaces, etc.

[0076] Radio front-end module 706 may include a millimeter-wave (mmWave) radio front-end module (RFEM) and one or more sub-millimeter-wave radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs). In some embodiments, the one or more sub-millimeter-wave RFICs may be physically separated from the millimeter-wave RFEM. The RFIC may include connectors to one or more antennas or antenna arrays, and the RFEM may be connected to multiple antennas. In another embodiment, both millimeter-wave and sub-millimeter-wave radio functions may be implemented in the same physical radio front-end module 706 that combines both millimeter-wave antennas and sub-millimeter-wave components.

[0077] The memory circuitry 708 may include one or more of the following: volatile memory, including dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and / or synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM); and non-volatile memory (NVM), including high-speed electrically erasable memory (commonly referred to as "flash memory"), phase-change random access memory (PRAM), magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), etc., and may be combined with Intel... ® and Micron ® A three-dimensional (3D) XPOINT memory. The memory circuit 708 can be implemented as one or more of the following: a solder-in packaged integrated circuit, a socket memory module, and an insert memory card.

[0078] The PMIC 710 may include a voltage regulator, surge protector, power alarm detection circuitry, and one or more backup power sources, such as batteries or capacitors. The power alarm detection circuitry can detect one or more of a power outage (undervoltage) and a power surge (overvoltage) condition. The power tee circuit 712 can provide power drawn from the network cable to provide both power and data connectivity to the infrastructure equipment 700 using a single cable.

[0079] Network controller circuitry 714 can provide connectivity to the network using standard network interface protocols such as Ethernet, GRE-tunneled Ethernet, Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS)-based Ethernet, or some other suitable protocol. Network connectivity can be provided to / from infrastructure equipment 700 via a physical connection via network interface connector 720; this physical connection can be an electrical connection (typically referred to as a "copper interconnect"), an optical connection, or a wireless connection. Network controller circuitry 714 may include one or more dedicated processors and / or FPGAs for communicating using one or more of the aforementioned protocols. In some implementations, network controller circuitry 714 may include multiple controllers for providing connectivity to other networks using the same or different protocols. Positioning circuitry 716 includes circuitry for receiving and decoding signals transmitted / broadcast by the positioning network of a global navigation satellite system.

[0080] Figure 8 Examples of platform 800 according to various embodiments are shown. In embodiments, computer platform 800 may be adapted to function as a UE, application server, and / or any other element / device discussed herein. Platform 800 may include any combination of the components shown in the examples. Components of platform 800 may be implemented as integrated circuits (ICs), portions of ICs, discrete electronic devices, or other modules, logic, hardware, software, firmware, or combinations thereof adapted within computer platform 800, or may be implemented as components otherwise integrated within the chassis of a larger system. Figure 8 The block diagram is intended to show a high-level view of the components of the computer platform 800. However, some of the components shown may be omitted, additional components may be present, and different arrangements of the components shown may occur in other specific implementations.

[0081] Application circuit 802 includes circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more processors (or processor cores), cache memory, and LDOs, interrupt controllers, serial interfaces (such as SPI), and I / O pins. 2 The application circuit 802 may include one or more of the following: a C or general-purpose programmable serial interface module, an RTC, timers (including interval timers and watchdog timers), general-purpose I / O, a memory card controller (such as an SD MMC or similar controller), a USB interface, a MIPI interface, and a JTAG test access port. The processor (or core) of the application circuit 802 may be coupled to or may include a memory / storage element, and may be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory / storage element to enable various applications or operating systems to run on platform 800. In some specific implementations, the memory / storage element may be on-chip memory circuitry that may include any suitable volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as DRAM, SRAM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, solid-state memory, and / or any other type of memory device technology, such as those discussed herein.

[0082] The processor of application circuit 802 may include, for example, one or more processor cores, one or more application processors, one or more GPUs, one or more RISC processors, one or more ARM processors, one or more CISC processors, one or more DSPs, one or more FPGAs, one or more PLDs, one or more ASICs, one or more microprocessors or controllers, multi-threaded processors, ultra-low voltage processors, embedded processors, some other known processing elements, or any suitable combination thereof. In some embodiments, application circuit 802 may include or may be a dedicated processor / controller for operation according to various embodiments herein.

[0083] In addition to or alternatively, application circuitry 802 may include circuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more field-programmable devices (FPDs) such as FPGAs; programmable logic devices (PLDs) such as complex PLDs (CPLDs), high-capacity PLDs (HCPLDs); ASICs such as structured ASICs; programmable SoCs (PSoCs); and so on. In such embodiments, the circuitry of application circuitry 802 may include logic blocks or logic architectures, and other interconnect resources that can be programmed to perform various functions such as processes, methods, functions, etc., as discussed in the various embodiments herein. In such embodiments, the circuitry of application circuitry 802 may include memory cells (e.g., erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, static memory (e.g., static random access memory (SRAM), fuses, etc.)) for storing logic blocks, logic architectures, data, etc., in lookup tables (LUTs), etc.

[0084] The baseband circuit 804 can be implemented, for example, as a soldered substrate, which includes one or more integrated circuits, a single packaged integrated circuit soldered to a main circuit board, or a multi-chip module containing two or more integrated circuits.

[0085] The radio front-end module 806 may include a millimeter-wave (mmWave) radio front-end module (RFEM) and one or more sub-millimeter-wave radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs). In some embodiments, the one or more sub-millimeter-wave RFICs may be physically separated from the millimeter-wave RFEM. The RFIC may include connectors to one or more antennas or antenna arrays, and the RFEM may be connected to multiple antennas. In another embodiment, the radio functions of both millimeter-wave and sub-millimeter-wave technologies may be implemented in the same physical radio front-end module 806 that combines both millimeter-wave and sub-millimeter-wave technologies.

[0086] Memory circuitry 808 may include any number and type of memory devices for providing a fixed amount of system memory. For example, memory circuitry 808 may include one or more of the following: volatile memory, including random access memory (RAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), and / or synchronous dynamic RAM (SD RAM); and non-volatile memory (NVM), including high-speed electrically erasable memory (commonly referred to as flash memory), phase-change random access memory (PRAM), magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), etc. Memory circuitry 808 may be developed according to the Joint Electronic Equipment Committee (JEDEC) design based on low-power double data rate (LPDDR), such as LPDDR2, LPDDR3, LPDDR4, etc. Memory circuitry 808 may be implemented as one or more of the following: solder-in packaged integrated circuits, single-die package (SDP), dual-die package (DDP), or quad-die package (Q17P), socket memory modules, dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs) (including micro DIMMs or mini DIMMs, and / or soldered to a motherboard via a ball grid array (BGA)). In a low-power implementation, memory circuitry 808 may be an on-chip memory or register associated with application circuitry 802. To provide persistent storage for information such as data, applications, operating systems, etc., memory circuitry 808 may include one or more mass storage devices, which may include, in particular, solid-state drives (SSDDs), hard disk drives (HDDs), miniature HDDs, resistance-changing memory, phase-change memory, holographic memory, or chemical memory. For example, computer platform 800 may be integrated with Intel... ® and Micron ® 3D XPOINT memory.

[0087] The removable memory circuitry 826 may include devices, circuitry, enclosures / housings, ports, or sockets for coupling portable data storage devices to the platform 800. These portable data storage devices may be used for mass storage and may include, for example, flash memory cards (e.g., Secure Digital (SD) cards, MicroSD cards, xD picture cards, etc.), as well as USB flash drives, optical discs, external HDDs, etc.

[0088] Platform 800 may also include interface circuitry (not shown) for connecting external devices to platform 800. External devices connected to platform 800 via this interface circuitry include sensor 822 and electromechanical components (shown as EMC 824), as well as a removable memory device coupled to removable memory 826.

[0089] Sensor 822 includes devices, modules, or subsystems designed to detect events or changes in their environment and transmit information about the detected events (sensor data) to other devices, modules, subsystems, etc. Examples of such sensors include, in particular: inertial measurement units (IMUs) including accelerometers, gyroscopes, and / or magnetometers; microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) or nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) including triaxial accelerometers, triaxial gyroscopes, and / or magnetometers; level sensors; flow sensors; temperature sensors (e.g., thermistors); pressure sensors; barometric pressure sensors; gravimeters; altimeters; image capture devices (e.g., cameras or lensless aperture sensors); light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors; proximity sensors (e.g., infrared radiation detectors, etc.), depth sensors, ambient light sensors, ultrasonic transceivers; microphones or other similar audio capture devices; etc.

[0090] EMC 824 includes devices, modules, or subsystems intended to enable platform 800 to change its state, position, and / or orientation, or to move or control mechanisms or (sub)systems. Additionally, EMC 824 can be configured to generate messages / signaling and send messages / signaling to other components of platform 800 to indicate the current state of EMC 824. Examples of EMC 824 include one or more power switches, relays (including electromechanical relays (EMRs) and / or solid-state relays (SSRs)), actuators (e.g., valve actuators, etc.), audible generators, visual warning devices, motors (e.g., DC motors, stepper motors, etc.), wheels, propellers, pawls, clamps, hooks, and / or other similar electromechanical components. In embodiments, platform 800 is configured to operate one or more EMC 824s based on one or more captured events and / or commands or control signals received from a service provider and / or various clients. In some specific implementations, interface circuitry can connect platform 800 to positioning circuitry 816.

[0091] In some implementations, this interface circuitry can connect platform 800 to a near-field communication circuitry (shown as NFC circuitry 812). NFC circuitry 812 is configured to provide contactless short-range communication based on the radio frequency identification (RFID) standard, wherein a magnetic field sensor is used to enable communication between NFC circuitry 812 and NFC-enabled devices (e.g., “NFC contacts”) external to platform 800.

[0092] The drive circuitry 818 may include software and hardware elements for controlling specific devices embedded in, attached to, or otherwise communicatively coupled to the platform 800. The drive circuitry 818 may include various drivers that allow other components of the platform 800 to interact with or control various input / output (I / O) devices that may exist within or be connected to the platform. For example, the drive circuitry 818 may include a display driver for controlling and allowing access to a display device, a touchscreen driver for controlling and allowing access to a touchscreen interface of the platform 800, a sensor driver for obtaining sensor readings of sensor 822 and controlling and allowing access to sensor 822, an EMC driver for obtaining actuator position of EMC 824 and / or controlling and allowing access to EMC 824, a camera driver for controlling and allowing access to an embedded image capture device, and an audio driver for controlling and allowing access to one or more audio devices.

[0093] A power management integrated circuit (shown as PMIC 810) (also referred to as a "power management circuit") manages the power supplied to various components of platform 800. Specifically, relative to baseband circuit 804, PMIC 810 controls power selection, voltage scaling, battery charging, or DC-DC conversion. PMIC 810 is typically included when platform 800 can be powered by battery 814, for example, when the device is included in a UE.

[0094] In some implementations, the PMIC 810 can be controlled or otherwise integrated into various power-saving mechanisms of the platform 800. For example, if the platform 800 is in the RRC_Connected state, where it remains connected to the RAN node as it anticipates receiving traffic soon, it can enter a state known as Discontinuous Receive Mode (DRX) after a period of inactivity. During this state, the platform 800 can power down for short intervals to conserve power. If there is no data traffic activity over an extended period, the platform 800 can transition to the RRC_Idle state, in which it disconnects from the network and does not perform operations such as channel quality feedback, handover, etc. The platform 800 enters a very low-power state and performs paging, where it periodically wakes up to listen to the network and then power down again. The platform 800 may not receive data in this state; to receive data, it must transition back to the RRC_Connected state. Additional power-saving modes can allow the device to be unavailable from the network for longer than the paging interval (ranging from a few seconds to several hours). During this period, the device is completely unable to connect to the network and can be completely powered off. Any data sent during this time will result in significant latency, which is assumed to be acceptable.

[0095] Battery 814 can power platform 800, but in some examples, platform 800 may be mounted in a fixed location and may have a power source coupled to the grid. Battery 814 may be a lithium-ion battery, a metal-air battery such as a zinc-air battery, an aluminum-air battery, a lithium-air battery, etc. In some specific implementations, such as in V2X applications, battery 814 may be a typical lead-acid automotive battery.

[0096] In some implementations, battery 814 may be a “smart battery” that includes or is coupled to a battery management system (BMS) or battery monitoring integrated circuit. The BMS may be included in platform 800 to track the state of charge (SoCh) of battery 814.

[0097] A power block coupled to the power grid or other power source can be coupled to the BMS to charge battery 814. In some examples, a wireless power receiver can replace the power block to obtain power wirelessly, for example, via a loop antenna in computer platform 800. In these examples, wireless battery charging circuitry can be included in the BMS. The specific charging circuitry chosen may depend on the size of battery 814 and therefore on the required current. Charging can be performed using aviation fuel standards published by the Aviation Fuel Alliance, the Qi wireless charging standard published by the Radio Power Alliance, or the Rezence charging standard published by the Radio Power Alliance.

[0098] User interface circuitry 820 includes various input / output (I / O) devices present within or connected to platform 800, and includes one or more user interfaces designed to enable user interaction with platform 800 and / or peripheral component interfaces designed to enable interaction with peripheral components of platform 800. User interface circuitry 820 includes input device circuitry and output device circuitry. Input device circuitry includes any physical or virtual device for accepting input, particularly including one or more physical or virtual buttons (e.g., a reset button), a physical keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a touchpad, a touchscreen, a microphone, a scanner, a headset, etc. Output device circuitry includes any physical or virtual device for displaying information or otherwise conveying information such as sensor readings, actuator positions, or other similar information. Output device circuitry may include any number and / or combination of audio or visual displays, particularly one or more simple visual outputs / indicators such as binary status indicators (e.g., light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and multi-character visual outputs), or more complex outputs such as display devices or touchscreens (e.g., liquid crystal displays (LCDs), LED displays, quantum dot displays, projectors, etc.), wherein the output of characters, graphics, multimedia objects, etc., is generated or produced by the operation of platform 800. Output device circuitry may also include speakers or other audio transmitting devices, printers, etc. In some embodiments, sensor 822 may be used as input device circuitry (e.g., image capture devices, motion capture devices, etc.) and one or more EMCs may be used as output device circuitry (e.g., actuators for providing haptic feedback, etc.). In another example, NFC circuitry may be included for reading electronic tags and / or connecting to another NFC-enabled device, the NFC circuitry including an NFC controller and processing device coupled to an antenna element. Peripheral component interfaces may include, but are not limited to, non-volatile memory ports, USB ports, audio jacks, power interfaces, etc.

[0099] Although not shown, components of Platform 800 may communicate with each other using suitable bus or interconnect (IX) technologies, which may include any number of technologies, including ISA, EISA, PCI, PCix, PCie, Time Triggered Protocol (TTP) systems, FlexRay systems, or any number of other technologies. The bus / IX may be a proprietary bus / IX, for example, used in a SoC-based system. Other bus / IX systems, such as I... 2 Interfaces include C-type interface, SPI interface, point-to-point interface, and power bus, etc.

[0100] For one or more embodiments, at least one of the components shown in one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to perform one or more operations, techniques, processes, and / or methods described in the Embodiments section below. For example, the baseband circuitry described above in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples below. As another example, circuitry associated with the UE, base station, network element, etc., described above in conjunction with one or more of the foregoing figures may be configured to operate according to one or more of the examples shown in the Examples section below.

[0101] Example Section The following examples relate to other implementation schemes.

[0102] Example 1 is a method for a User Equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving a System Information Block (SIB) via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, the SIB including a Listen-Before-Speak (LBT) configuration element, the LBT configuration element including a TCI state parameter indicating a potential Transport Configuration Indicator (TCI) state; receiving a Downlink Control Information (DCI) message, the DCI message indicating an enabled TCI state for Channel Occupancy Time (COT), the enabled TCI state being associated with a potential TCI state among potential TCI states; decoding the DCI message and determining the enabled TCI state for COT; and applying the enabled TCI state for COT as indicated in the DCI message.

[0103] Example 2 is the method according to Example 1, wherein the LBT configuration element is used to cover a frequency range of 52.6 GHz to 71 GHz.

[0104] Example 3 is the method according to Example 1, wherein the LBT configuration element includes parameters indicating whether there is an LBT or no LBT, whether it is an omnidirectional or directional LBT, and the LBT beam TCI status information.

[0105] Example 4 is based on the method described in Example 3, wherein the LBT beam TCI status information includes the maximum number of LBT beams, TCI status ID, QCL type, reference signal association, and default LBT beam configuration.

[0106] Example 5 is the method according to Example 1, wherein the DCI message is a DCI format 2-0 message.

[0107] Example 6 is the method according to Example 1, wherein determining the enabled TCI state for COT includes determining that the enabled TCI state is omnidirectional when there is no bit field associated with the enabled TCI state in the DCI message.

[0108] Example 7 is the method according to Example 1, wherein the DCI message includes a bit field of size equal to the maximum TCI state, wherein the bit field indicates the enabled TCI state.

[0109] Example 8 is the method according to Example 5, wherein the enabled TCI state is the sensing beam TCI state, and wherein the method further includes deriving the transmission TCI state of the COT based on the mapping of the sensing beam to the transmission beam configured by RRC.

[0110] Example 9 is the method according to Example 5, wherein the enabled TCI state is the transmission beam TCI state.

[0111] Example 10 is the method according to Example 1, wherein if both directional LBT and omnidirectional LBT are configured in the LBT configuration element of the SIB, the DCI message includes a bit field that is one bit larger than the size of the maximum TCI state, wherein if omnidirectional sensing is performed before COT, the omnidirectional LBT bit of the bit field is set to one and the other directional LBT bits in the bit field are ignored, and wherein if directional sensing is performed before COT, the omnidirectional LBT bit is set to zero and the directional LBT bit corresponding to the directional sensing is set to one.

[0112] Example 11 is the method according to Example 1, further comprising receiving a Media Access Control Element (MAC CE) that enables LBT configuration for signaling notification in the SIB.

[0113] Example 12 is the method according to Example 1, further comprising determining the COT TCI state for the multiple CCs by performing an LBT procedure on one of the multiple component carriers (CCs), wherein if the CC is idle, transmissions on all the multiple CCs can continue, and sending a DCI message in any of the multiple CCs, wherein the enabled TCI state in the DCI message applies to all CCs in the multiple CCs.

[0114] Example 13 is the method according to Example 12, wherein when multiple tape groups are configured, random CCs can be selected for the tape group, and if a CC is idle, it is assumed that all CCs in the tape group can be used for transmission.

[0115] Example 14 is the method according to Example 1, further comprising determining the COT TCI status for multiple CCs by independently performing an LBT procedure on each CC, wherein the DCI message includes a bit field defining the TCI status for each CC.

[0116] Example 15 is the method according to Example 1, further comprising determining whether the transmission and reception points of the system with multiple transmission and reception points enabled are idle and receiving the TCI state used for LBT sensing of the transmission and reception points.

[0117] Example 16 is a method for a network node, the method comprising: transmitting a System Information Block (SIB) via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, the SIB including a Talk-Before (LBT) configuration element, the LBT configuration element including TCI state parameters containing a potential Transport Configuration Indicator (TCI) state; configuring a Downlink Control Information (DCI) message, the DCI message including an indication of an enabled TCI state for Channel Occupancy Time (COT) from the potential TCI state; transmitting the DCI message to a UE; and applying the enabled TCI state for COT as indicated in the DCI message.

[0118] Example 17 is the method according to Example 16, wherein the LBT configuration element is used to cover a frequency range of 52.6 GHz to 71 GHz.

[0119] Example 18 is the method according to Example 16, wherein the DCI message is a DCI format 2-0 message.

[0120] Example 19 is the method according to Example 16, wherein when the enabled TCI state is omnidirectional, the network node does not include the bit field in the DCI message associated with the enabled TCI state.

[0121] Example 20 is the method according to Example 16, wherein the DCI message includes a bit field of size equal to the maximum TCI state, wherein the bit field indicates the enabled TCI state.

[0122] Example 21 is the method according to Example 16, wherein if both directional LBT and omnidirectional LBT are configured in the LBT configuration element of the SIB, the DCI message includes a bit field that is one bit larger than the size of the maximum TCI state, wherein if omnidirectional sensing is performed before COT, the omnidirectional LBT bit of the bit field is set to one and the other directional LBT bits in the bit field are ignored, and wherein if directional sensing is performed before COT, the omnidirectional LBT bit is set to zero and the directional LBT bit corresponding to the directional sensing is set to one.

[0123] Example 22 is the method according to Example 16, further comprising a Media Access Control Element (MAC CE) that enables signaling notification of LBT configuration in the SIB.

[0124] Example 23 is the method according to Example 16, further comprising enabling a COT TCI state for multiple CCs by performing an LBT procedure on one of the multiple component carriers (CCs), wherein if the CC is idle, transmissions on all multiple CCs can continue, and a DCI message is sent in any of the multiple CCs, wherein the enabled TCI state in the DCI message applies to all CCs in the multiple CCs.

[0125] Example 24 is the method according to Example 23, wherein when multiple tape groups are configured, random CCs can be selected for the tape group, and if a CC is idle, it is assumed that all CCs in the tape group can be used for transmission.

[0126] Example 25 is the method according to Example 16, further comprising enabling COT TCI status for multiple CCs by independently performing an LBT procedure on each CC, wherein the DCI message includes a bit field defining the TCI status for each CC.

[0127] Example 26 is the method according to Example 16, wherein the LBT configuration element includes parameters indicating whether there is an LBT or no LBT, whether it is an omnidirectional or directional LBT, and the LBT beam TCI status information.

[0128] Example 27 is the method described according to Example 26, wherein the LBT beam TCI status information includes the maximum number of LBT beams, TCI status ID, QCL type, reference signal association, and default LBT beam configuration.

[0129] Example 28 is the method according to Example 16, wherein the enabled TCI state is the sensing beam TCI state, and wherein the method further includes deriving the transmission TCI state of the COT based on the mapping of the sensing beam to the transmission beam configured by RRC.

[0130] Example 29 is the method according to Example 16, wherein the enabled TCI state is the transmission beam TCI state.

[0131] Example 30 is the method according to Example 16, further comprising determining whether the transmission and reception points of the system with multiple transmission and reception points enabled are idle and transmitting the TCI state used for LBT sensing of the transmission and reception points.

[0132] Example 31 is a method for a user equipment (UE) comprising: transmitting a scheduling request for uplink (UL) dynamic grant (DG); receiving a UL DG DCI; determining whether the UL DG DCI includes parameters indicating a sensing beam for a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) for the DG, wherein if a sensing beam is explicitly indicated, the indicated beam is used to transmit the DG PUSCH, and wherein if a sensing beam is not configured in the UL DG DCI, UL channel occupancy time (COT) beam sensing follows the current active TCI state used in beam management.

[0133] Example 32 is a method for a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving a radio resource control (RRC) configuration message for a UL configuration grant (CG); decoding the RRC configuration message to determine an enabled TCI state, wherein if the RRC configuration message indicates a directional LBT, a directional LBT with a specific effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) and beam direction for a transmission burst is performed using the currently active TCI state indicated in the RRC configuration message, and wherein if the RRC configuration message indicates an omnidirectional LBT, an omnidirectional LBT is performed.

[0134] Example 33 is the method according to Example 32, further comprising signaling the sensing beam and transmission beam direction via CG-uplink control information (UCI).

[0135] Example 34 is the method according to Example 33, wherein the CG-UCI content includes HARQ ID, New Data Indicator (NDI), Redundancy Version (RV) and COT sharing information, and wherein the COT sharing information includes COT duration and bias and TCI status.

[0136] Example 35 may include an apparatus comprising means for performing one or more elements of the method or any other method or process described herein, as described in any of the above embodiments or related to them.

[0137] Example 36 may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable media, the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media including instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform one or more elements of the method or any other method or process described herein, as described in any of the above embodiments or related to them.

[0138] Example 37 may include an apparatus comprising logic components, modules, or circuitry for performing one or more elements of the method or any other method or process described herein, as described in any of the above embodiments or related to them.

[0139] Example 38 may include any of the methods, techniques, or processes, or parts or components thereof, described or associated with any of the above examples.

[0140] Example 39 may include an apparatus comprising one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media, the one or more computer-readable media including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform any of the methods, techniques or processes, or portions thereof, as described in or associated with any of the above embodiments.

[0141] Example 40 may include any signal or part or component thereof that is described or associated with any of the above examples.

[0142] Example 41 may include datagrams, packets, frames, segments, protocol data units (PDUs) or messages, or parts or components thereof, as described in any of the above examples or in connection with them, or otherwise as described in this disclosure.

[0143] Example 42 may include a data-encoded signal or part or component thereof described or associated with any of the above examples, or otherwise described in this disclosure.

[0144] Example 43 may include a signal or part or component thereof encoded as a datagram, packet, frame, segment, PDU or message as described in any of the above examples or in connection with them, or otherwise described in this disclosure.

[0145] Example 44 may include an electromagnetic signal carrying computer-readable instructions, wherein execution of the computer-readable instructions by one or more processors will cause the one or more processors to perform any of the methods, techniques or processes, or portions thereof, as described in or associated with any of the above examples.

[0146] Example 45 may include a computer program comprising instructions, wherein execution of the program by a processing element will cause the processing element to perform any of the methods, techniques, or processes, or portions thereof, as described in or associated with any of the above embodiments.

[0147] Example 46 may include signals in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

[0148] Example 47 may include methods for communicating in a wireless network as shown and described herein.

[0149] Example 48 may include a system for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein.

[0150] Example 49 may include a device for providing wireless communication as shown and described herein.

[0151] Unless otherwise expressly stated, any of the above embodiments may be combined with any other embodiment (or combination of embodiments). The foregoing description of one or more specific embodiments provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the scope of the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. In view of the teachings above, modifications and variations are possible, or modifications and variations may be obtained from the practice of various embodiments.

[0152] Implementations and specific embodiments of the systems and methods described herein may include various operations embodied in machine-executable instructions to be executed by a computer system. The computer system may include one or more general-purpose or special-purpose computers (or other electronic devices). The computer system may include hardware components, including specific logical components for performing the operations, or may include a combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware.

[0153] It should be recognized that the systems described herein include descriptions of specific implementations. These implementations may be combined into a single system, partially integrated into other systems, divided into multiple systems, or otherwise partitioned or combined. Furthermore, it is conceivable to use parameters, attributes, aspects, etc., of one implementation in another implementation. For clarity, these parameters, attributes, aspects, etc., are described only in one or more implementations, and it should be recognized that unless specifically stated herein, these parameters, attributes, aspects, etc., may be combined with or substituted for parameters, attributes, aspects, etc., of another implementation.

[0154] As is widely recognized, the use of personally identifiable information should comply with privacy policies and practices that are generally accepted to meet or exceed industry or governmental requirements for protecting user privacy. Specifically, personally identifiable information data should be managed and processed to minimize the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly explained to users.

[0155] Although the foregoing has been described in considerable detail for clarity, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of the invention. It should be noted that many alternative ways exist to implement both the processes and apparatus described herein. Therefore, embodiments of the invention should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive, and this specification is not limited to the details given herein, but can be modified within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A method for user equipment (UE), the method comprising: The system receives a System Information Block (SIB) via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, the SIB including a Listen-Before-Speak (LBT) configuration element; The SIB is decoded to determine the LBT configuration element; Channel availability for transmission is sensed based on the LBT configuration element in the SIB; as well as Transmissions are sent when the channel is available.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the LBT configuration element includes parameters indicating that the UE should apply LBT.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the LBT configuration element is used to include a frequency range of 52.6 GHz to 71 GHz.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a downlink control information (DCI) message, the DCI message indicating the LBT process type.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein sensing the channel availability includes performing a process associated with the LBT process type.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the LBT configuration element is configured in the case of LBT application.

7. A baseband processor for user equipment (UE), the baseband processor being configured to cause the UE to perform the following operations: The system receives a System Information Block (SIB) via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, the SIB including a Listen-Before-Speak (LBT) configuration element; The SIB is decoded to determine the LBT configuration element; Channel availability for transmission is sensed based on the LBT configuration element in the SIB; as well as Transmissions are sent when the channel is available.

8. The baseband processor of the UE according to claim 7, wherein the LBT configuration element includes parameters indicating that the baseband processor of the UE should apply LBT.

9. The baseband processor of the UE according to claim 7, wherein the LBT configuration element is configured to include a frequency range of 52.6 GHz to 71 GHz.

10. The baseband processor of the UE according to claim 7, wherein the baseband processor of the UE is further configured to cause the UE to receive a downlink control information (DCI) message, the DCI message indicating an LBT procedure type.

11. The baseband processor of the UE according to claim 10, wherein the baseband processor of the UE configured to cause the UE to sense the channel availability is further configured to cause the UE to perform a process associated with the LBT process type.

12. The baseband processor of the UE according to claim 10, wherein the LBT configuration element is configured in the case of LBT application.

13. A method for a network node, the method comprising: A configuration system information block (SIB) is provided, which includes a Listen-Before-Speak (LBT) configuration element; The SIB is transmitted to the User Equipment (UE) via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling; Based on the LBT configuration element in the SIB, transmissions are received from the UE when the channel is available.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the LBT configuration element includes a parameter indicating that the UE should apply LBT.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the LBT configuration element is used to include a frequency range of 52.6 GHz to 71 GHz.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising sending a downlink control information (DCI) message, the DCI message indicating the LBT process type.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the LBT configuration element is configured in the case of LBT application.

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