Methods of signaling reserved resources for ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC) traffic

Abstract

To provide methods of signaling reserved resources that take into account a traffic type, in which UL transmission is periodic and deterministic, for uplink (UL) grant-free transmission.SOLUTION: In a wireless network, a method performed by a wireless device includes the wireless device receiving aggregated uplink (UL) information transmitted by a network node. Here, as an option, the aggregated UL information includes indications of aggregated frequency domain resources and aggregated time domain resources. The method also includes the wireless device configuring UL transmission based on the aggregated UL information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 18

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to signaling reserved resources reserved for certain traffic. [Background technology]

[0002] RRC configuration for UL grant-free transmission

[0003] In 3GPP TS 38.331 V15.1.0 (“TS 38.331”), the configuration for UL grant-free transmission is specified by the information element (IE) ConfiguredGrantConfig.

[0004] The IE ConfiguredGrantConfig is used to configure uplink transmissions without dynamic grants according to two possible schemes: the actual uplink grants may be configured via RRC (type 1) or provided via PDCCH (destined for CS-RNTI) (type 2).

[0005] Table 1 below shows an example ConfiguredGrantConfig information element. [Table 1]

[0006] The descriptions of the fields of the ConfiguredGrantConfig information element are listed in Table 2 below. [Table 2] JPEG2024150442000004.jpg220166

[0007] RRC configuration for DL ​​preemption

[0008] In TS 38.331 V15.1.0, the IE DownlinkPreemption is specified for downlink preemption.

[0009] Table 3 below shows a description of an exemplary DownlinkPreemption information element. [Table 3]

[0010] The field descriptions of the DownlinkPreemption information element are listed in Table 4 below. [Table 4]

[0011] Traffic patterns of a typical URLLC scenario

[0012] In some URLLC scenarios, the UL traffic pattern is periodic and deterministic with a given inter-arrival time, including prioritized URLLC scenarios such as the transportation industry, power distribution, and factory automation.

[0013] Transport Block Size Determination

[0014] In section 6.1.4.2 of 38.214, one step in determining the transport block size for PUSCH transmission is to determine an approximation of the number of REs available for transmission as follows: the total number of REs that the UE has allocated for PUSCH (N RE ) to N RE =min(156,N´ RE )·N PRB It is determined by, where n PRB is the total number of PRBs allocated for the UE, and this number is used to determine the transport block size. Summary of the Invention

[0015] Currently, there is a challenge: the current design in Rel-15 assumes that uplink traffic is sporadic and unpredictable. There is no design that takes into account traffic types where UL transmissions are periodic and deterministic.

[0016] Certain aspects of the present disclosure and these embodiments may provide solutions to these and other problems. In one aspect, a set of resources, e.g., time and frequency resources, to be used for grants configured for a group of UEs is signaled to a second group of UEs. The second group of UEs takes into account the signaled set of reserved resources and avoids transmitting anything on the set of resources even if the set of resources is scheduled to do so.

[0017] Various embodiments are proposed herein that address one or more of the problems disclosed herein.

[0018] In an aspect, in accordance with some embodiments, a method is provided that is performed by a wireless device, the method including the wireless device receiving aggregated uplink (UL) information transmitted by a network node, optionally the aggregated UL information having an indication of aggregated frequency domain resources and aggregated time domain resources, and the method including the wireless device configuring a UL transmission based on the aggregated UL information.

[0019] In some embodiments, configuring the UL transmission based on the aggregated UL information includes utilizing frequency and time domain resources for the UL transmission other than the aggregated frequency domain resources and the aggregated time domain resources.

[0020] In some embodiments, configuring the UL transmission based on the aggregated UL information includes identifying a portion of the UL transmission that is scheduled to utilize frequency and time domain resources that overlap with the aggregated frequency and time domain resources, and removing the identified portion of the UL transmission.

[0021] In some embodiments, configuring a UL transmission based on the aggregated UL information includes identifying a portion of aggregated frequency and time domain resources assigned to the UE, and utilizing (1) the identified portion of the aggregated frequency and time domain resources, and / or (2) frequency and time domain resources other than the aggregated frequency and time domain resources, for the UL transmission.

[0022] In some embodiments, the aggregated UL information includes a list of UL configurations for two or more UEs. In some embodiments, the aggregated UL information includes UL configurations for two or more UEs sorted according to a predetermined criterion. In some embodiments, each of the two or more UEs is URLLC capable. In some embodiments, aggregated frequency and time domain resources are reserved for URLLC transmission.

[0023] In another aspect, a method is provided in accordance with some embodiments that is performed by a wireless device, the method including the wireless device transmitting an uplink (UL) configuration to a network node, the uplink configuration to be aggregated with a second UL configuration from a second UE into aggregate information.

[0024] In another aspect, there is provided a method performed by a network node according to some embodiments. The method includes the network node obtaining a first uplink (UL) configuration for a first user equipment (UE) and a second UL configuration for a second UE. The method includes the network node aggregating the first UL and second UL configurations to form aggregated information. The method includes the network node transmitting the aggregated information, optionally the aggregated information including an indication of aggregated frequency domain resources and aggregated time domain resources.

[0025] In some embodiments, aggregating the first and second UL configurations includes listing the first and second UL configurations, hi some embodiments, each of the first and second UL configurations includes one or more parameters that may optionally include one or more of a periodicity, a number of configured repetitions, a time domain resource allocation, and a frequency domain resource allocation.

[0026] In some embodiments, aggregating the first and second UL configurations includes sorting the first and second UL configurations according to a predetermined criterion, thereby forming one or more aggregated UL configurations, In some embodiments, the one or more aggregated UL configurations include one or more parameters that may optionally include one or more of a periodicity, a number of configured iterations, a time domain resource allocation, and a frequency domain resource allocation.

[0027] In some embodiments, the step of transmitting the aggregate information includes at least one of broadcasting the aggregate information to cells served by the network node, multicasting the aggregate information to a group of UEs, and transmitting the aggregate information to individual UEs.

[0028] In some embodiments, the aggregate frequency and time domain resources are reserved for Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC) transmissions. In some embodiments, each of the first and second UEs is URLLC transmission capable.

[0029] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages: The embodiments disclosed herein enable efficient multiplexing of UL URLLC traffic and evolved Mobile Broadband (eMBB) traffic. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates a description of predictable UL GF configurations for three exemplary UEs.

[0031] [Diagram 2] 1 shows an illustration in which predictable UL GF configurations for three exemplary UEs are summarized.

[0032] [Diagram 3] 13 illustrates that eMBB traffic for a particular UE avoids reserved resources according to a predictable UL GF configuration.

[0033] [Figure 4] 13 illustrates that eMBB traffic for a particular UE avoids reserved resources according to a predictable UL GF configuration.

[0034] [Diagram 5] An example will be described in which the UE refrains from sending any UL transmissions on the reserved resources.

[0035] [Figure 6] An example will be described in which the UE refrains from sending any UL transmissions on the reserved resources.

[0036] [Figure 7]An example will now be described in which a UE identifies its predictable resources from a signaled set of predictable UL GF configurations.

[0037] [Figure 8] An example will now be described in which a UE identifies its predictable resources from a signaled set of predictable UL GF configurations.

[0038] [Figure 9] An example network will now be described.

[0039] [Figure 10] A UE according to one embodiment will be described.

[0040] [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment.

[0041] [Figure 12] A communication system is described.

[0042] [Figure 13] Exemplary implementations of the UE and base station are described.

[0043] [Figure 14] , [Figure 15] , [Figure 16] , [Figure 17] , [Figure 18] , [Figure 19] , [Figure 20] 1 is a flow chart illustrating different processes according to various embodiments.

[0044] [Figure 21] A schematic block diagram of the device will be described.

[0045] [Figure 22] A schematic block diagram of the device will be described.

[0046] [Figure 23] A schematic block diagram of the device will be described. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0047] In general, all terms used herein should be interpreted according to their ordinary meaning in the relevant technical field unless a different meaning is expressly given and / or implied from the context in which it is used. All references to an element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc. with a / an / the should be openly interpreted as referring to at least one instance of the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc., unless specifically stated otherwise. The steps of any method disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless a step is expressly described as after or before another step and / or it is implicit that a step must be after or before another step. Any feature of any of the embodiments disclosed herein may be applied to any other embodiment where appropriate. Similarly, any advantage of any embodiment may apply to any other embodiment and vice versa. Other objects, features, and advantages of the accompanying embodiments will become apparent from the following description.

[0048] Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, however, other embodiments are included within the scope of the subject matter disclosed herein and the disclosed subject matter should not be construed as being limited to only the embodiments described herein, but rather, these embodiments are provided as examples to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0049] In some embodiments, a network node (e.g., a gNB) collects UL configurations from two or more UEs. In such embodiments, each of the UEs transmits a UL configured grant configuration to the network node. The network node aggregates the collected UL grant configurations to form aggregated information and then transmits the aggregated information to one or more UEs. In some embodiments, the network node broadcasts the aggregated information to cells served by the network node, multicasts the aggregated information to a group of UEs, and / or transmits the aggregated information to individual UEs.

[0050] The transmission of aggregate information may be particularly useful when UL configured grant configurations are defined for a cyclic UL traffic pattern. For example, three exemplary UEs, namely UE-a, UE-b, and UE-c, are each configured with a UL configured grant configuration to support a cyclic traffic pattern of URLLC. The network node collects and aggregates the UL configured grant configurations for UE-a, UE-b, and UE-c to form aggregate information and transmits the aggregate information to exemplary UEs, namely UE-x and UE-y. UE-x and UE-y may construct UL transmissions based on the received aggregate information.

[0051] Method for signaling predictable UL configured grant configuration

[0052] By way of example, and not to be construed as limiting, two methods may be used by a network node to signal aggregate information including a predictable UL configured grant configuration (also referred to as a predictable UL grant-free (GF) configuration):

[0053] In a first method (hereinafter referred to as Method A), a network node, e.g., a gNB, signals aggregation information including a list of UL GF configurations.

[0054] In method A, a list of predictable UL GF configurations is RRC configured for each bandwidth portion (BWP). Each of the predictable UL GF configurations includes one or more parameters that may include one or more of a periodicity (P), a configured number of repetitions (K), a time domain resource allocation, and a frequency domain resource allocation.

[0055] In some embodiments, one or more parameters may be absent, in which case default values ​​may be assumed for the absent parameters.

[0056] Figure 1 illustrates an illustration of a predictable UL GF configuration for three example UEs, namely UE-a, UE-b, and UE-c, according to one embodiment. An example embodiment of the RRC configuration for the example illustrated in Figure 1 is shown in Table 5 below. [Table 5]

[0057] In a second method (hereinafter referred to as Method B), the network node signals aggregation information including the aggregated UL GF configuration.

[0058] In method B, the sum of the predictable UL GF configurations is sorted into one time-frequency configuration according to a predefined criterion. Figure 2 shows an illustration of the predictable UL GF configurations of three example UEs, namely UE-a, UE-b, and UE-c, being aggregated into aggregation configuration A and aggregation configuration B, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, the network node signals the RRC configurations of aggregation configuration A and aggregation configuration B as shown in Table 6 below. [Table 6]

[0059] Use of signaled UL configured grant configuration

[0060] For simplicity, by way of example, and not to be construed as limiting, an eMBB UE is used to represent a UE whose UL transmission may be interrupted by a higher priority ULRRC transmission, in some embodiments, other types of UEs (e.g., machine type communication (MTC) UEs) may be UEs that have interrupted UL transmissions.

[0061] In one embodiment, the eMBB UE may utilize the received predictable UL GF configuration to avoid any UL transmission that may overlap with any URLLC UE's UL transmission. The eMBB UE may consider the resources of the received predictable UL GF configuration as reserved resources from the eMBB UE's perspective. Thus, the eMBB UE avoids transmitting any channel or signal on the reserved resources indicated in the received predictable UL GF configuration.

[0062] Methods for constructing an eMBB signal while avoiding transmission on reserved resources include, but are not limited to: (a) Puncturing scheduled eMBB transmissions that overlap reserved resources. An eMBB UE may first construct a sequence of eMBB signals assuming that no reserved resources exist, and then, when the eMBB UE maps eMMB signals to time-frequency resources, the eMBB UE simply drops the portions of the constructed sequence of eMBB signals that overlap with the reserved resources. (b) Rate matching around reserved resources. An eMBB UE takes into account the amount of reserved resources when constructing a sequence for eMBB signals. When an eMBB UE maps eMMB signals to time-frequency resources, reserved resources are avoided and eMBB signals are mapped to non-reserved resources. No dropping is required in the resource mapping step when an eMBB UE uses a rate matching scheme.

[0063] Regarding the use of non-reserved resources by eMBB UEs, two alternative methods are given below by way of example and should not be construed as limiting.

[0064] In one example, eMBB UEs may be scheduled with UL transmissions during slots or minislots that are part of reserved resources. Thus, eMBB UEs map their UL signals / channels around such reserved resources. Examples of eMBB UEs mapping their UL signals / channels around reserved resources are shown in Figures 3 and 4, where UE-x is an eMBB UE. Figure 3 shows that UE-x's eMBB traffic avoids reserved resources according to predictable UL GF configurations of UE-a, UE-b, and UE-c. Figure 2 shows that UE-x's eMBB traffic avoids reserved resources according to aggregation configurations A and B as shown and described with reference to Figure 2 and Table 6.

[0065] As another example, an eMBB UE may refrain from transmitting any UL configured grant transmission during a minislot or OFDM symbol that is part of the reserved resources. An example of an eMBB UE refraining from transmitting any UL transmission on the reserved resources is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, where UE-x is an eMBB UE. Figure 5 illustrates that UE-x's eMBB traffic avoids OFDM symbols in the reserved resources according to the predictable UL GF configurations of UE-a, UE-b, and UE-c. Figure 6 illustrates that UE-x's eMBB traffic avoids OFDM symbols in the reserved resources according to aggregation configurations A and B as shown and described with reference to Figure 2 and Table 6.

[0066] Identifying your configuration

[0067] In some embodiments, a UE, e.g., a URLLC UE, is signaled aggregate information including a configured grant configuration that includes its assigned reserved resources. In such embodiments, the UE identifies assigned reserved resources that overlap with reserved resources indicated by the received configured grant configuration. The UE may transmit on the identified overlapping resources, but avoids transmitting on reserved resources indicated by the received configured grant configuration that do not overlap.

[0068] In some embodiments, the UE removes reserved resources assigned to it from the set of signaled resources indicated by the received configured grant configuration before determining resources to avoid transmission on.

[0069] Examples are shown in Figures 7 and 8, where UE-c identifies its own predictable resources from the signaled set of predictable UL GF configurations. Figure 7 shows that UE-c avoids reserved resources for UE-a and UE-b, but still uses its own assigned reserved resources for UL transmission. Figure 8 shows that UE-c avoids reserved resources for UE-a and UE-b according to aggregation configurations A and B as shown and described with reference to Figure 2 and Table 6, but still uses its own assigned reserved resources for UL transmission.

[0070] Determination of Transport Block Size for Modified Transmission

[0071] In an embodiment, a UE, e.g., an eMBB UE, determines the number of resource elements N allocated to the PUSCH that is used to determine the transport block size. RE In some embodiments, N RE is determined as follows:

[0072] N RE =min(156,N´RE )*n PRB -N RE,reserved , where N RE,reserved is equal to the number of REs over which the UE avoids transmitting, or an approximation of the number of REs over which the UE avoids transmitting.

[0073] Although the subject matter described herein may be implemented in any suitable type of system using any suitable components, the embodiments disclosed herein are described in the context of a wireless network, such as the exemplary wireless network illustrated in FIG. 9. For simplicity, the wireless network of FIG. 9 shows only network 906, network nodes 960 and 960b, and WDs 910, 910b, and 910c. In practice, the wireless network may further include any additional elements suitable for supporting communications between wireless devices, or between wireless devices and another communication device, such as a landline, a service provider, or any other network node or end device. Of the illustrated components, network node 960 and wireless device (WD) 910 are shown with additional details. The wireless network may provide communication and other types of services to one or more wireless devices to facilitate the wireless device's access to and / or use of services provided by or via the wireless network.

[0074] A wireless network may comprise or interact with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, and / or radio network, or other similar type of system. In some embodiments, a wireless network may be configured to operate according to a particular standard or other type of predefined rules or procedures. Thus, particular embodiments of a wireless network may implement communications standards such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G standards, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) standards such as the IEEE 802.11 standard, and / or Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, and / or ZigBee standards.

[0075] The network 906 may include one or more backhaul networks, core networks, IP networks, public switched telephone networks (PTSN), packet data networks, optical networks, wide area networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), wireless local area networks (WLANs), wired networks, wireless networks, metropolitan area networks, and other networks that enable communication between devices.

[0076] Network node 960 and WD 910 comprise various components, which are described in more detail below, that cooperate to provide network node and / or wireless device functionality, such as providing wireless connectivity in a wireless network. In various embodiments, a wireless network can comprise any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, base stations, controllers, wireless devices, relay stations, and / or any other components or systems that can facilitate or participate in communication of data and / or signals, whether via a wired or wireless connection.

[0077] As used herein, a network node refers to a device capable of, configured, arranged, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with wireless devices and / or with other network nodes or devices in a wireless network to enable and / or provide wireless access to wireless devices and / or perform other functions (e.g., management) in a wireless network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., wireless access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs) and NR Node Bs (gNBs)). Base stations can be classified based on the amount of coverage they provide (or in other words, the power level at which they transmit) and can also be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations. A base station can be a relay node that controls relaying or a relay donor node. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station, such as a centralized digital unit and / or a remote radio unit (RRU) (sometimes referred to as a remote radio head (RRH)). Such a remote radio unit may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna-integrated radio. Parts of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS). Further examples of network nodes include multi-standard radio (MSR) equipment such as an MSR BS, a network controller such as a radio network controller (RNC) or a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a transmission point, a transmission node, a multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), a core network node (e.g., MSC, MME), an O&M node, an OSS node, a SON node, a positioning node (e.g., E-SMLC), and / or an MDT. As another example, a network node may be a virtual network node, as described in more detail below.More generally, however, a network node may represent any suitable device (or group of devices) capable of, or configured, arranged, and / or operable to enable and / or provide wireless devices with access to a wireless network or to provide some service to wireless devices that have accessed the wireless network.

[0078] In FIG. 9, network node 960 includes processing circuitry 970, device readable medium 980, interface 990, auxiliary equipment 984, power source 986, power circuitry 987, and antenna 962. Although network node 960 shown in the exemplary wireless network of FIG. 9 may represent a device including the illustrated combination of hardware components, other embodiments may include network nodes having different combinations of components. It should be understood that a network node includes any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. Additionally, although the components of network node 960 are depicted as a single box disposed within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in reality the network node may include multiple different physical components that make up a single illustrated component (e.g., device readable medium 980 may include multiple separate hard drives and multiple RAM modules).

[0079] Similarly, the network node 960 may be comprised of multiple physically separate components (e.g., a Node B component and an RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), each of which may have their own separate components. In certain scenarios where the network node 960 includes multiple separate components (e.g., a BTS and a BSC component), one or more of the separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple Node Bs. In such scenarios, each unique Node B and RNC pair may be considered as a single separate network node in some examples. In some embodiments, the network node 960 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate device-readable media 980 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna 962 may be shared by the RATs). Network node 960 may also include multiple sets of the various described components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node 960, such as, for example, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chips or sets of chips and other components within network node 960.

[0080] The processing circuitry 970 may be configured to perform any determining, calculating, or similar operation (e.g., a particular acquisition operation) described herein as being provided by a network node. These operations performed by the processing circuitry 970 may include, for example, processing the information obtained by the processing circuitry 970 by transforming the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained or transformed information to information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained or transformed information, and making a determination as a result of such processing.

[0081] The processing circuitry 970 may comprise one or more of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or coding logic operable to provide, either alone or in conjunction with other network node 960 components, such as device readable medium 980, network node 960 functionality. For example, the processing circuitry 970 may execute instructions stored in the device readable medium 980 or memory within the processing circuitry 970. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features, functions, or benefits described herein. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 970 may include a system on a chip (SOC).

[0082] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 970 may include one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 972 and baseband processing circuitry 974. In some embodiments, the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 972 and the baseband processing circuitry 974 may be on separate chips (or collection of chips), boards, or units, such as a radio unit and a digital unit. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 972 and the baseband processing circuitry 974 may be on the same chip or collection of chips, board, or unit.

[0083] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein as being provided by a network node, base station, eNB, or other such network device may be performed by the processing circuitry 970 executing instructions stored on the device-readable medium 980 or memory within the processing circuitry 970. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuitry 970 without executing instructions stored on a separate or distinct device-readable medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of these embodiments, the processing circuitry 970 may be configured to perform the described functionality, whether or not it executes instructions stored on a device-readable storage medium. Benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to the processing circuitry 970 alone or other components of the network node 960, but may be enjoyed by the network node 960 as a whole, and / or by end users and the wireless network as a whole.

[0084] The device readable medium 980 may include any form of volatile or non-volatile computer readable memory, including, but not limited to, persistent storage, solid state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., flash drive, compact disk (CD) or digital video disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile non-transitory device readable and / or computer executable memory device that stores information, data, and / or instructions that may be used by the processing circuitry 970. The device readable medium 980 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including applications including one or more of computer programs, software, logic, rules, codes, tables, etc., and / or other instructions that may be executed by the processing circuitry 970 and utilized by the network node 960. The device-readable medium 980 may be used to store any operations performed by the processing circuit 970 and / or any data received via the interface 990. In some embodiments, the processing circuit 970 and the device-readable medium 980 may be considered to be integrated.

[0085] The interface 990 is used for wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between the network node 960, the network 906, and / or the WD 910. As described, the interface 990 includes a port / terminal 994 for transmitting and receiving data to and from the network 906, for example, via a wired connection. The interface 990 also includes a radio front-end circuit 992, which may be coupled to the antenna 962, or a portion thereof in certain embodiments. The radio front-end circuit 992 includes a filter 998 and an amplifier 996. The radio front-end circuit 992 may be connected to the antenna 962 and the processing circuit 970. The radio front-end circuit may be configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna 962 and the processing circuit 970. The radio front-end circuit 992 may receive digital data to be sent to another network node or WD via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuitry 992 can convert the digital data into a radio signal having appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 998 and / or amplifiers 996. The radio signal can then be transmitted via the antenna 962. Similarly, in receiving data, the antenna 962 can collect the radio signal and then convert it to digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 992. The digital data can be passed to the processing circuitry 970. In other embodiments, the interface can include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0086] In certain alternative embodiments, the network node 960 may not include a separate radio front-end circuit 992, and instead the processing circuit 970 may include a radio front-end circuit and may be connected to the antenna 962 without a separate radio front-end circuit 992. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuit 972 may be considered part of the interface 990. In still other embodiments, the interface 990 may include one or more ports or terminals 994, the radio front-end circuit 992, and the RF transceiver circuit 972 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the interface 990 may communicate with baseband processing circuitry 974 that is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0087] Antenna 962 may include one or more antennas or an antenna array configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals. Antenna 962 may be coupled to radio front-end circuitry 990 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, antenna 962 may comprise one or more omni-directional, sector, or panel antennas operable to transmit and receive wireless signals between 2 GHz and 66 GHz, for example. An omni-directional antenna may be used to transmit and receive wireless signals in any direction, a sector antenna may be used to transmit and receive wireless signals from devices within a particular area, and a panel antenna may be a line-of-sight antenna used to transmit and receive wireless signals in a relatively straight line. In some examples, the use of multiple antennas may be referred to as MIMO. In certain embodiments, antenna 962 may be separate from network node 960 and may be connectable to network node 960 via an interface or port.

[0088] The antenna 962, the interface 990, and / or the processing circuitry 970 may be configured to perform any receiving operation and / or a given acquisition operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signal may be received from a wireless device, another network node, and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna 962, the interface 990, and / or the processing circuitry 970 may be configured to perform any transmitting operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signal may be transmitted to a wireless device, another network node, and / or any other network equipment.

[0089] The power circuitry 987 may comprise or be coupled to a power management circuitry and is configured to provide power to the components of the network node 960 to perform the functions described herein. The power circuitry 987 may receive power from a power source 986. The power source 986 and / or the power circuitry 987 may be configured to provide power to the various components of the network node 960 in a form suitable for the individual components (e.g., voltage and current levels required for each individual component). The power source 986 may be included within the power circuitry 987 and / or the network node 960 or may be included externally thereto. For example, the network node 960 may be connected to an external power source (e.g., an electrical outlet) via an input circuit or interface, such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source provides power to the power circuitry 987. As a further example, the power source 986 may include a power source in the form of a battery or battery pack connected to or integrated with the power circuitry 987. The battery may provide backup power in the event that the external power source fails. Other types of power sources, such as photovoltaic devices, may also be used.

[0090] Alternative embodiments of network node 960 may include additional components beyond those shown in Figure 9 that may be responsible for providing certain aspects of the network node's functionality, including any of the functions described herein and / or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, network node 960 may include user interface devices to enable input of information into network node 960 and output of information from network node 960, thereby enabling a user to perform diagnostics, maintenance, repair, and other management functions on network node 960.

[0091] As used herein, a wireless device (WD) refers to a device that is configured, arranged, and / or operable to wirelessly communicate with network nodes and / or other wireless devices. Unless otherwise noted, the term WD may be used interchangeably with user equipment (UE) herein. Communicating wirelessly may include transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information through the air. In some embodiments, a WD may be configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, a WD may be designed to transmit information to a network on a predefined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or upon a request from the network. Examples of WDs include, but are not limited to, smartphones, mobile phones, cell phones, voice over IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless cameras, game consoles or devices, music storage and playback devices, wearable terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, tablets, laptops, laptop embedded equipment (LEE), laptop mounted equipment (LME), smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, etc. A WD may support device-to-device (D2D) communications, for example, by implementing 3GPP standards for sidelink communications, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications, in which case it may be referred to as a D2D communications device. As yet another specific example, in an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, a WD may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements and transmits results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another WD and / or network node. In this case, the WD may be a machine-to-machine (M2M) device and, in the 3GPP context, may be referred to as an MTC device. As one particular example, the WD may be a UE implementing the 3GPP Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) standard.Particular examples of such machines or devices are metering devices such as sensors, power meters, industrial machines, or home or personal appliances (e.g., refrigerators, televisions, etc.), personal wearables (e.g., watches, fitness trackers, etc.). In other scenarios, a WD may represent a vehicle or other equipment that can monitor and / or report its operating status or other functions related to its operation. Such a WD may represent an endpoint of a wireless connection. In this case, the device is referred to as a wireless terminal. Furthermore, such a WD may be mobile, in which case it may also be referred to as a mobile device or mobile terminal.

[0092] As illustrated, wireless device 910 includes antenna 911, interface 914, processing circuitry 920, device readable medium 930, user interface equipment 932, auxiliary equipment 934, power source 936, and power circuitry 937. WD910 may include multiple collections of one or more of the illustrated components for different wireless technologies supported by WD910, such as GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, WiMAX, or Bluetooth wireless technologies, just to name a few. These wireless technologies may be integrated on the same or different chips or collections of chips as other components within WD910.

[0093] The antenna 911 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to transmit and / or receive wireless signals and is connected to the interface 914. In certain alternative embodiments, the antenna 911 may be separate from the WD 910 and may be connectable to the WD 910 through an interface or port. The antenna 911, the interface 914, and / or the processing circuitry 920 may be configured to perform any receiving or transmitting operations described herein as being performed by a WD. Any information, data, and / or signals may be received from a network node and / or another WD. In some embodiments, the wireless front-end circuitry and / or the antenna 911 may be considered an interface.

[0094] As described, the interface 914 includes a radio front-end circuit 912 and an antenna 911. The radio front-end circuit 912 includes one or more filters 918 and an amplifier 916. The radio front-end circuit 914 is coupled to the antenna 911 and the processing circuit 920 and configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna 911 and the processing circuit 920. The radio front-end circuit 912 may be coupled to or may be a part of the antenna 911. In some embodiments, the WD 910 may not include a separate radio front-end circuit 912, rather the processing circuit 920 may include the radio front-end circuit and may be connected to the antenna 911. Similarly, in some embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuit 922 may be considered part of the interface 914. The radio front-end circuit 912 may receive digital data to be sent to other network nodes or WDs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuitry 912 can convert the digital data into a radio signal having appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 918 and / or amplifiers 916. The radio signal can then be transmitted via the antenna 911. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 911 can collect a radio signal, which is then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 912. The digital data can be passed to the processing circuitry 920. In other embodiments, the interface can include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0095] The processing circuitry 920 may comprise one or more of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or coding logic operable to provide, either alone or in conjunction with other WD910 components, such as the device readable medium 930, WD910 functionality. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features or advantages described herein. For example, the processing circuitry 920 may execute instructions stored in the device readable medium 930 or memory within the processing circuitry 920 to provide functionality disclosed herein.

[0096] As described, the processing circuitry 920 includes one or more of an RF transceiver circuitry 922, a baseband processing circuitry 924, and an application processing circuitry 926. In other embodiments, the processing circuitry may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components. In certain embodiments, the processing circuitry 920 of the WD 910 may comprise a SOC. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuitry 922, the baseband processing circuitry 924, and the application processing circuitry 926 may be on separate chips or a collection of chips. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the baseband processing circuitry 924 and the application processing circuitry 926 may be combined into one chip or a collection of chips, and the RF transceiver circuitry 922 may be on a separate chip or a collection of chips. In further alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 922 and the baseband processing circuitry 924 may be on the same chip or chipset, and the application processing circuitry 926 may be on a separate chip or chipset. In yet other alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuitry 922, the baseband processing circuitry 924, and the application processing circuitry 926 may be combined on the same chip or collection of chips. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuitry 922 may be part of the interface 914. The RF transceiver circuitry 922 may condition an RF signal for the processing circuitry 920.

[0097] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein as being performed by the WD may be provided by the processing circuitry 920 executing instructions stored on a device readable medium 930, which in certain embodiments may be a computer readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuitry 920 without executing instructions stored on a separate or distinct device readable storage medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of these particular embodiments, the processing circuitry 920 may be configured to perform the described functionality, whether or not it executes instructions stored on a device readable storage medium. Benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to the processing circuitry 920 alone or other components of the WD 910, but may be enjoyed by the WD 910 as a whole and / or by end users and the wireless network as a whole.

[0098] The processing circuitry 920 may be configured to perform any determination, calculation, or similar operation (e.g., a predetermined acquisition operation) described herein as being performed by a WD. These operations as performed by the processing circuitry 920 may include processing the information acquired by the processing circuitry 920, for example, by transforming the acquired information to other information, comparing the acquired or transformed information to information stored by the WD 910, and / or performing one or more operations based on the acquired or transformed information and making a decision as a result of such processing.

[0099] The device-readable medium 930 may be operable to store applications, including one or more of computer programs, software, logic, rules, codes, tables, etc., and / or other instructions that may be executed by the processing circuitry 920. The device-readable medium 930 may include computer memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM)), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., compact discs (CDs) or digital video discs (DVDs)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory devices that store information, data, and / or instructions that may be used by the processing circuitry 920. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 920 and the device-readable medium 930 may be considered to be integrated.

[0100] The user interface devices 932 may provide components that allow a human user to interact with the WD910. Such interaction may be in many forms, such as visual, auditory, tactile, etc. The user interface devices 932 may be operable to generate output to the user and allow the user to provide input to the WD910. The type of interaction may vary depending on the type of user interface devices 932 installed on the WD910. For example, if the WD910 is a smartphone, the interaction may be via a touch screen, if the WD910 is a smart meter, the interaction may be via a screen that provides usage (e.g., number of gallons used), or a speaker that provides an audible alarm (e.g., if smoke is detected). The user interface devices 932 may include input interfaces, devices, and circuits, as well as output interfaces, devices, and circuits. The user interface devices 932 are configured to allow input of information to the WD910 and are coupled to the processing circuitry 920 to allow the processing circuitry 920 to process the input information. The user interface devices 932 may include, for example, a microphone, proximity or other sensors, keys / buttons, a touch display, one or more cameras, a USB port, or other input circuitry. The user interface devices 932 are also configured to enable output of information from the WD910 and to enable the processing circuitry 920 to output information from the WD910. The user interface devices 932 may include, for example, a speaker, a display, vibration circuitry, a USB port, a headphone interface, or other output circuitry. Using one or more input / output interfaces, devices, and circuits of the user interface devices 932, the WD910 can communicate with end users and / or wireless networks and enable them to benefit from the functionality described herein.

[0101] The auxiliary device 934 is operable to provide more specific functions that may not generally be performed by a WD. It may include specialized sensors for taking measurements for various purposes, interfaces for additional types of communication, such as wired communication, etc. The inclusion and type of components of the auxiliary device 934 may vary depending on the embodiment and / or scenario.

[0102] The power source 936 may be in the form of a battery or battery pack in some embodiments. Other types of power sources, such as an external power source (e.g., an electrical outlet), a photovoltaic device, or power cells, may also be used. The WD 910 may further comprise a power circuit 937 that routes power from the power source 936 to various portions of the WD 910 that require power from the power source 936 to perform any of the functions described or illustrated herein. The power circuit 937 may include power management circuitry in certain embodiments. The power circuit 937 may additionally or alternatively be operable to receive power from an external power source, in which case the WD 910 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., an electrical outlet) via an interface such as an input circuit or power cable. The power circuit 937 may be operable in certain embodiments to route power from the external power source to the power source 936. This may be, for example, for charging the power source 936. The power circuit 937 may perform any formatting, conversion, or other modification of the power from the power source 936 to make it suitable for the individual components of the WD 910 being powered.

[0103] FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment of a UE in accordance with various aspects described herein. As used herein, user equipment, or UE, may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates an associated device. Instead, a UE may represent a device (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller) that is intended for sale to or operation by a human user, but may not be associated or initially associated with a particular human user. Alternatively, a UE may represent a device (e.g., a smart power meter) that is not intended for sale to or operation by an end user, but may be associated with or operated on behalf of a user. The UE 10200 may be any UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including an NB-IoT UE, a Machine Type Communication (MTC) UE, and / or an evolved MTC (eMTC) UE. The UE 10200 is an example of a WD configured to communicate according to one or more communications standards promulgated by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as 3GPP's GSM, UMTS, LTE, and / or 5G standards, as shown in Figure 10. As previously mentioned, the terms WD and UE may be used interchangeably. Thus, although Figure 10 is a UE, the components described herein are equally applicable to a WD and vice versa.

[0104] In FIG. 10, UE 1000 includes a processing circuit 1001 operatively coupled to an input / output interface 1005, a radio frequency (RF) interface 1009, a network connection interface 1011, memory 1015 including random access memory (RAM) 1017, read only memory (ROM) 1019, and storage medium 1021, a communication subsystem 1031, a power source 1033, and / or any other components, or any combination thereof. Storage medium 1021 includes an operating system 1023, application programs 1025, and data 1027. In other embodiments, storage medium 1021 may include other similar types of information. A given UE may utilize all of the components shown in FIG. 10, or only a subset of the components. The level of integration between components may vary from UE to UE. Additionally, a given UE may include multiple instances of components, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0105] In FIG. 10, the processing circuit 1001 may be configured to process computer instructions and data. The processing circuit 1001 may be configured to implement any sequential state machine that operates to execute machine instructions stored in memory as a machine-readable computer program, such as one or more hardware implemented state machines (e.g., discrete logic, FPGA, ASIC, etc.), programmable logic with appropriate firmware, one or more stored programs, a general purpose processor such as a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP) with appropriate software, or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuit 1001 may include two central processing units (CPUs). The data may be information in a form suitable for use by a computer.

[0106] In the illustrated embodiment, the input / output interface 1005 may be configured to provide a communication interface to an input device, an output device, or an input and output device. The UE 1000 may be configured to use an output device via the input / output interface 1005. The output device may use the same type of interface port as the input device. For example, a USB port may be used to provide input to the UE 1000 and output from the UE. The output device may be a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, an emitter, a smart card, another output device, or any combination thereof. The UE 1000 may be configured to allow a user to capture information into the UE 1000 using an input device via the input / output interface 1005. The input device may include a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a web camera, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smart card, etc. The presence sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from a user. The sensor may be, for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, another similar sensor, or any combination thereof. For example, the input device may be an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a digital camera, a microphone, and a light sensor.

[0107] In FIG. 10, the RF interface 1009 may be configured to provide a communication interface to RF components such as a transmitter, a receiver, and an antenna. The network connection interface 1011 may be configured to provide a communication interface to a network 1043a. The network 1043a may include wired and / or wireless networks such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a computer network, a wireless network, a telecommunications network, other networks, or combinations thereof. For example, the network 1043a may comprise a Wi-Fi network. The network connection interface 1011 may be configured to include a receiver and a transmitter interface used to communicate with one or more other devices over a communication network according to one or more communication protocols such as Ethernet, TCP / IP, SONET, ATM, etc. The network connection interface 1011 may implement receiver and transmitter functions appropriate for a communication network link (e.g., optical, electrical, etc.). The transmitter and receiver functions may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or may be implemented separately.

[0108] The RAM 1017 may be configured to interface to the processing circuit 1001 via the bus 1002 to provide storage or caching of data or computer instructions during execution of software programs such as an operating system, application programs, and device drivers. The ROM 1019 may be configured to provide computer instructions or data to the processing circuit 1001. For example, the ROM 1019 may be configured to store invariant low-level system code or data for basic system functions such as basic input / output (I / O), start-up, or receiving keystrokes from a keyboard stored in non-volatile memory. The storage medium 1021 may be configured to include memory such as RAM, ROM, programmable read-only memory, erasable programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory, magnetic disk, optical disk, floppy disk, hard disk, removable cartridge, or flash drive. In one example, the storage medium 1021 may be configured to include an operating system 1023, an application program 1025, such as a web browser application, a widget or gadget engine or another application, and data files 1027. The storage medium 1021 may store any of a variety of operating systems or combinations of operating systems for use by the UE 1000.

[0109] The storage medium 1021 may be configured to include multiple physical drive units, such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), a floppy disk drive, a flash memory, a USB flash drive, an external hard disk drive, a thumb drive, a pen drive, a key drive, a high density digital versatile disk (HD-DVD) optical disk drive, an internal hard disk drive, a Blu-ray optical disk drive, a Holographic Digital Data Storage (HDDS) optical disk drive, an external mini dual in-line memory module (DIMM), a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), an external micro-DIMM SDRAM, a smart card memory such as a subscriber identity module or a removable user identity (SIM / RUIM) module, other memory, or any combination thereof. The storage medium 1021 may enable the UE 1000 to access, offload data, or upload data, computer executable instructions, application programs, and the like, stored in a temporary or non-transitory memory medium. An article of manufacture, such as one that utilizes the communication system, may be tangibly embodied in a storage medium 1021, which may comprise a device-readable medium.

[0110] In FIG. 10, the processing circuit 1001 may be configured to communicate with the network 1043b using the communication subsystem 1031. The network 1043a and the network 1043b may be the same network or multiple networks, or different networks or multiple networks. The communication subsystem 1031 may be configured to include one or more transceivers used to communicate with the network 1043b. For example, the communication subsystem 1031 may be configured to include one or more transceivers used to communicate with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication, such as another WD, UE, or base station of a radio access network (RAN), according to one or more communication protocols, such as IEEE 802.10, CDMA, WCDMA, GSM, LTE, UTRAN, WiMax, etc. Each transceiver may include a transmitter 1033 and / or a receiver 1035 to respectively perform transmitter or receiver functions appropriate for the RAN link (e.g., frequency allocation, etc.). Additionally, the transmitter 1033 and receiver 1035 of each transceiver may share circuit components, software, or firmware, or may be implemented separately.

[0111] In the described embodiment, the communication capabilities of the communication subsystem 1031 may include data communications, voice communications, multimedia communications, short-range communications such as Bluetooth, short-range communications, location-based communications such as using a global positioning system (GPS) to determine location, another similar communication capability, or any combination thereof. For example, the communication subsystem 1031 may include cellular communications, Wi-Fi communications, Bluetooth communications, and GPS communications. The network 1043b may include wired and / or wireless networks such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a computer network, a wireless network, a telecommunications network, another similar network, or any combination thereof. For example, the network 1043b may be a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, and / or a short-range network. The power source 1013 may be configured to provide alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) power to the components of the UE 1000.

[0112] The features, advantages, and / or functions described herein may be implemented in one of the components of the UE 1000 or may be distributed across multiple components of the UE 1000. Furthermore, the features, advantages, and / or functions described herein may be implemented in any combination of hardware, software, or firmware. In one example, the communication subsystem 1031 may be configured to include any of the components described herein. Furthermore, the processing circuit 1001 may be configured to communicate with any of such components via the bus 1002. In another example, any of such components may be represented by program instructions stored in memory that, when executed by the processing circuit 1001, perform the corresponding functions described herein. In another example, the functions of any of such components may be distributed between the processing circuit 1001 and the communication subsystem 1031. In another example, non-computationally intensive functions of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware, and computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0113] FIG. 11 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 1100 in which functionality performed by some embodiments may be virtualized. In this context, virtualization means creating a virtualized version of an apparatus or device, which may include virtualizing a hardware platform, storage devices, and network resources. As used herein, virtualization may apply to a node (e.g., a virtualized base station or a virtualized radio access node) or device (e.g., a UE, a wireless device, or any other type of communication device) or components thereof, and relates to embodiments in which at least a portion of functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components (e.g., via one or more applications, components, functions, virtual machines, or containers running on one or more physical processing nodes in one or more networks).

[0114] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines implemented in one or more virtual environments 1100 hosted by one or more hardware nodes 1130. Additionally, in embodiments where the virtual nodes are not wireless access nodes or do not require wireless connectivity (e.g., core network nodes), the network nodes may be fully virtualized.

[0115] The functionality may be implemented by one or more applications 1120 (which may alternatively be referred to as software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) operable to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of the embodiments disclosed herein. The applications 1120 execute in a virtualization environment 1100 that provides hardware 1130 with a processing circuit 1160 and a memory 1190. The memory 1190 includes instructions 1195 executable by the processing circuit 1160 such that the applications 1120 are operable to provide one or more of the features, advantages, and / or functions disclosed herein.

[0116] The virtualization environment 1100 includes a general-purpose or dedicated network hardware device 1130 that includes a collection of one or more processors or processing circuits 1160, which may be commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) processors, dedicated application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or any other type of processing circuitry including digital or analog hardware components or dedicated processors. Each hardware device may include memory 1190-1, which may be non-persistent memory for temporarily storing instructions 1195 or software executed by the processing circuitry 1160. Each hardware device may include one or more network interface controllers (NICs) 1170, also referred to as network interface cards, that include a physical network interface 1180. Each hardware device may also include a non-transitory, persistent, machine-readable storage medium 1190-2 that stores software 1195 and / or instructions executable by the processing circuitry 1160. Software 1195 may include any type of software, including software for instantiating one or more virtualization layers 1150 (also referred to as a hypervisor), software for running virtual machines 1140, and software that enables the implementation of the functions, features, and / or advantages described in association with some of the embodiments described herein.

[0117] A virtual machine 1140 may include virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage, and may be executed by a corresponding virtualization layer 1150 or hypervisor. Various embodiments of an instance of a virtual appliance 1120 may be implemented in one or more of the virtual machines 1140, and the implementation may be done in different ways.

[0118] During operation, the processing circuitry 1160 executes software 1195 to instantiate a hypervisor or virtualization layer 1150, sometimes referred to as a virtual machine monitor (VMM), which can present a virtual operating platform to the virtual machines 1140 that appears as networking hardware.

[0119] As shown in Figure 11, the hardware 1130 may be a standalone network node with general purpose or specialized components. The hardware 1130 may include an antenna 11225 and may perform some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, the hardware 1130 may be part of a larger cluster of hardware (e.g., in a data center or customer premises equipment (CPE)) where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via a management and orchestration (MANO) 11100 that oversees, among other things, the lifecycle management of the application 1120.

[0120] Hardware virtualization occurs in some contexts where it is called network functions virtualization (NFV), which can be used to consolidate many network equipment types onto industry-standard high-volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage that can reside in data centers, as well as customer premises equipment.

[0121] In the context of NFV, a virtual machine 1140 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that executes programs as if they were running on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each virtual machine 1140, and that portion of hardware 1130 on which it runs, is hardware dedicated to that virtual machine and / or hardware shared by that virtual machine with others of virtual machines 1140, forms a separate Virtual Network Element (VNE).

[0122] Further, in the context of NFV, a Virtual Network Function (VNF) runs on one or more virtual machines 1140 on top of the hardware networking infrastructure 1130 and is responsible for handling a particular network function corresponding to an application 1120 in FIG. 11 .

[0123] In some embodiments, one or more radio units 11200, each including one or more transmitters 11220 and one or more receivers 11210, may be coupled to one or more antennas 11225. The radio units 11200 may communicate directly with the hardware node 1130 via one or more suitable network interfaces, and may be used in combination with virtual components to provide radio functionality to the virtual node, such as a radio access node or base station.

[0124] In some embodiments, some signaling may be accomplished using a control system 11230, which may alternatively be used for communication between the hardware nodes 1130 and the wireless unit 11200.

[0125] With reference to Fig. 12, a communication system according to an embodiment is shown. The communication system described includes a telecommunications network 1210, such as a 3GPP type cellular network, including an access network 1211, such as a radio access network, and a core network 1214. The access network 1211 comprises a number of base stations 1212a, 1212b, 1212c, e.g. NBs, eNBs, gNBs, or other types of wireless access points, each defining a corresponding coverage area 1213a, 1213b, 1213c. Each base station 1212a, 1212b, 1212c is connectable to the core network 1214 via a wired or wireless connection 1215. A first UE 1291 located in the coverage area 1213c is configured to wirelessly connect to, or be paged by, a corresponding base station 1212c. A second UE 1292 within the coverage area 1213a can wirelessly connect to a corresponding base station 1212a. Although multiple UEs 1291, 1292 are shown in this example, the disclosed embodiments are equally applicable to situations where a single UE is within the coverage area or connected to a corresponding base station 1212.

[0126] The telecommunications network 1210 is itself connected to a host computer 1230, which may be implemented in hardware and / or software of a standalone server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, or processing resources in a server farm. The host computer 1230 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider, or may be operated by or for the service provider. The connections 1221 and 1222 between the telecommunications network 1210 and the host computer 1230 may extend directly from the core network 1214 to the host computer 1230, or may extend through an optional intermediate network 1220. The intermediate network 1220 may be a combination of one or more of a public, private, or hosted network, and the intermediate network 1220 may be a backbone network or the Internet, if any, and in particular the intermediate network 1220 may comprise two or more sub-networks (not shown).

[0127] The overall communication system of FIG. 12 enables connectivity between the connected UEs 1291, 1292 and the host computer 1230. The connectivity may be described as an over-the-top (OTT) connection 1250. The host computer 1230 and the connected UEs 1291, 1292 are configured to communicate data and / or signaling via the OTT connection 1250 using the access network 1211, the core network 1214, any intermediate networks 1220, and possible further infrastructure (not shown) as intermediaries. The OTT connection 1250 may be transparent in the sense that the participating communication devices through which the OTT connection 1250 passes are unaware of the routing of the uplink and downlink communications. For example, the base station 1212 may not and does not need to be informed about the past routing of an incoming downlink communication with data originating from the host computer 1230 that is forwarded (e.g., handed over) to the connected UE 1291. Similarly, the base station 1212 does not need to be aware of the future routing of outgoing uplink communications originating from the UE 1291 towards the host computer 1230 .

[0128] An exemplary implementation according to the embodiment of the UE, base station, and host computer described in the previous paragraphs is described with reference to FIG. 13. In the communication system 1300, the host computer 1310 includes hardware 1315 including a communication interface 1316 configured to set up and maintain wired or wireless connections with interfaces of different communication devices of the communication system 1300. The host computer 1310 further includes a processing circuit 1318 that may have storage and / or processing capabilities. In particular, the processing circuit 1318 may include one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. The host computer 1310 further includes software 1311, which is stored or accessible by the host computer 1310 and executable by the processing circuit 1318. The software 1311 includes a host application 1312. The host application 1312 is operable to provide services to remote users, such as the UE 1330, which connect via an OTT connection 1350 that terminates at the host computer 1310. In providing services to the remote users, the host application 1312 can provide user data that is transmitted using the OTT connection 1350.

[0129] The communication system 1300 further includes a base station 1320 including hardware 1325 that is provided in the telecommunication system and enables communication with the host computer 1310 and the UE 1330. The hardware 1325 may include a communication interface 1326 for setting up and maintaining wired or wireless connections with interfaces of different communication devices of the communication system 1300, and a radio interface 1327 for setting up and maintaining at least a wireless connection 1370 with the UE 1330 located in a coverage area (not shown in FIG. 13) served by the base station 1320. The communication interface 1326 may be configured to facilitate a connection 1360 to the host computer 1310. The connection 1360 may be direct or may pass through a core network (not shown in FIG. 13) of the telecommunication system and / or one or more intermediate networks outside the telecommunication system. In the illustrated embodiment, hardware 1325 of base station 1320 further includes processing circuitry 1328, which may include one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. Base station 1320 further includes software 1321 stored internally or accessible via an external connection.

[0130] The communication system 1300 further includes the already referenced UE 1330, whose hardware 1335 may include a radio interface 1337 configured to set up and maintain a wireless connection 1370 with a base station serving the coverage area in which the UE 1330 is currently located. The hardware 1335 of the UE 1330 may include processing circuitry 1338, which may further include one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. The UE 1330 further includes software 1331, which is stored in or accessible to the UE 1330 and executable by the processing circuitry 1338. The software 1331 includes a client application 1332. The client application 1332 is operable to provide services to a human or non-human user via the UE 1330 with the support of the host computer 1310. In the host computer 1310, an executing host application 1312 can communicate with an executing client application 1332 via an OTT connection 1350 that terminates at the UE 1330 and the host computer 1310. In providing a service to a user, the client application 1332 can receive request data from the host application 1312 and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 1350 can transfer both the request data and the user data. The client application 1332 can interact with the user to generate the user data that it provides.

[0131] It should be noted that the host computer 1310, base station 1320, and UE 1330 illustrated in Figure 13 may be similar to or identical to the host computer 1230, one of the base stations 1212a, 1212b, 1212c, and one of the UEs 1291, 1292, respectively, of Figure 12. That is, the internal operation of these entities may be as shown in Figure 13, and independently, the surrounding network topology may be that of Figure 12.

[0132] 13, an OTT connection 1350 is depicted abstractly to show communication between a host computer 1310 and a UE 1330 via a base station 1320, without explicitly referencing any intermediate devices, nor showing the exact routing of messages through these devices. The network infrastructure may determine the routing, which may be configured to be hidden from the UE 1330, or from the service provider operating the host computer 1310, or both. While the OTT connection 1350 is active, the network infrastructure may further decide to dynamically change the routing (e.g., based on load balancing considerations or network reconfiguration).

[0133] The wireless connection 1370 between the UE 1330 and the base station 1320 follows the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of the OTT service provided to the UE 1330 using the OTT connection 1350 of which the wireless connection 1370 forms the final segment. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments may streamline the multiplexing of UL URLLC traffic and eMBB traffic.

[0134] A measurement procedure may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rates, latencies, and other factors that one or more embodiments improve upon. Additionally, there may be an optional network function to reconfigure the OTT connection 1350 between the host computer 1310 and the UE 1330 in response to variations in the measurement results. The measurement procedure and / or the network function to reconfigure the OTT connection 1350 may be implemented in the software 1311 and hardware 1315 of the host computer 1310, or in the software 1331 and hardware 1335 of the UE 1330, or both. In an embodiment, a sensor (not shown) may be located in or associated with the communication device through which the OTT connection 1350 passes. The sensor may participate in the measurement procedure by providing values ​​of the monitored quantities exemplified above, or by providing values ​​of other physical quantities from which the software 1311, 1331 can calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. Reconfiguration of the OTT connection 1350 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routing, etc., and the reconfiguration need not affect the base station 1320 and may be unknown or imperceptible to the base station 1320. Such procedures and functions are known in the art and may be implemented. In certain embodiments, the measurements may include proprietary UE signaling to facilitate measurements by the host computer 1310 of throughput, propagation time, latency, etc. The measurements may be implemented by having the OTT connection 1350 send messages, particularly empty or "dummy" messages, while the software 1311 and 1331 monitor propagation times, errors, etc.

[0135] FIG. 14 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be as described with reference to FIG. 12 and FIG. 13. To simplify the disclosure, only drawing references to FIG. 14 are included in this section. In step 1410, the host computer provides user data. In sub-step 1411 of step 1410 (which may be optional), the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In step 1420, the host computer initiates a transmission conveying the user data to the UE. In step 1430 (which may be optional), the base station transmits the user data conveyed in the host computer initiated transmission to the UE according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 1440 (which may also be optional), the UE executes a client application associated with the host application executed by the host computer.

[0136] FIG. 15 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be as described with reference to FIG. 12 and FIG. 13. To simplify the disclosure, only drawing references to FIG. 15 are included in this section. In step 1510 of the method, the host computer provides user data. In an optional sub-step (not shown), the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In step 1520, the host computer initiates a transmission conveying the user data to the UE. The transmission may be passed through the base station according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 1530 (which may be optional), the UE receives the user data conveyed in the transmission.

[0137] FIG. 16 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be as described with reference to FIG. 12 and FIG. 13. To simplify the disclosure, only drawing references to FIG. 16 are included in this section. In step 1610 (which may be optional), the UE receives input data provided by the host computer. Additionally or alternatively, in step 1620, the UE provides user data. In sub-step 1621 (which may be optional) of step 1620, the UE provides the user data by executing a client application. In sub-step 1611 (which may be optional) of step 1610, the UE executes a client application that provides user data in response to the received input data provided by the host computer. In providing the user data, the executed client application may further take into account user input received from a user. Regardless of the particular manner in which the user data is provided, the UE initiates transmission of the user data to the host computer in sub-step 1630 (which may be optional). In step 1640 of the method, the host computer receives user data transmitted from the UE in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure.

[0138] FIG. 17 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be as described with reference to FIG. 12 and FIG. 13. To simplify this disclosure, only the figures that refer to FIG. 17 are included in this section. In step 1710 (which may be optional), the base station receives user data from the UE in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 1720 (which may be optional), the base station initiates transmission of the received user data to the host computer. In step 1730 (which may be optional), the host computer receives the user data conveyed in the transmission initiated by the base station.

[0139] Any suitable step, method, feature, function, or benefit disclosed herein may be performed via one or more functional units or modules of one or more virtual devices. Each virtual device may comprise several of these functional units. These functional units may be implemented via processing circuitry, which may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers, as well as other digital hardware, which may include digital signal processors (DSPs), dedicated digital logic, etc. The processing circuitry may be configured to execute program code stored in memory, which may include one or more types of memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), cache memory, flash memory devices, optical storage devices, etc. The program code stored in memory includes program instructions for implementing one or more telecommunications and / or data communication protocols, as well as instructions for implementing one or more of the techniques described herein. In some implementations, the processing circuitry may be used to cause each functional unit to perform a corresponding function in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0140] 18 is a flow chart illustrating a process 1800 performed by a wireless device according to some embodiments. The process 1800 may begin at step s1802 where the wireless device receives aggregated uplink (UL) information transmitted by a network node, optionally comprising an indication of aggregated frequency domain resources and aggregated time domain resources. In step s1804, the wireless device configures a UL transmission based on the aggregated UL information.

[0141] In some embodiments, configuring the UL transmission based on the aggregated UL information includes utilizing frequency and time domain resources for the UL transmission other than the aggregated frequency domain resources and the aggregated time domain resources.

[0142] In some embodiments, configuring the UL transmission based on the aggregated UL information comprises identifying a portion of the UL transmission that is scheduled to utilize frequency and time domain resources that overlap with the aggregated frequency and time domain resources, and removing the identified portion of the UL transmission.

[0143] In some embodiments, configuring a UL transmission based on the aggregated UL information includes identifying a portion of aggregated frequency and time domain resources assigned to the UE and utilizing, for the UL transmission, (1) the identified portion of the aggregated frequency and time domain resources and / or (2) frequency and time domain resources other than the aggregated frequency and time domain resources.

[0144] In some embodiments, the aggregated UL information comprises a list of UL configurations for two or more UEs. In some embodiments, the aggregated UL information includes sorting the UL configurations for the two or more UEs according to a predetermined criterion. In some embodiments, each of the two or more UEs is URLLC capable. In some embodiments, aggregated frequency and time domain resources are reserved for URLLC transmission.

[0145] 19 is a flow chart illustrating a process 1900 performed by a wireless device according to some embodiments. The process 1900 begins at step s1902 where the wireless device sends an uplink (UL) configuration to a network node, the uplink configuration being to be aggregated with a second UL configuration from a second UE into aggregate information.

[0146] 20 is a flow chart illustrating a process 2000 performed by a network node according to some embodiments. The process 2000 may begin at step s2002, where the network node obtains a first uplink (UL) configuration for a first user equipment (UE) and a second UL configuration for a second UE. In step s2004, the network node aggregates the first UL configuration and the second UL configuration to form aggregated information. In step s2006, the network node transmits the aggregated information, optionally including an indication of aggregated frequency domain resources and aggregated time domain resources.

[0147] In some embodiments, aggregating the first and second UL configurations comprises listing the first and second UL configurations, in some embodiments each of the first and second UL configurations comprising one or more parameters that may optionally include one or more of a periodicity, a number of configured repetitions, a time domain resource allocation, and a frequency domain resource allocation.

[0148] In some embodiments, aggregating the first and second UL configurations comprises sorting the first and second UL configurations according to a predetermined criterion, thereby forming one or more aggregated UL configurations, In some embodiments, the one or more aggregated UL configurations comprise one or more parameters that may optionally include one or more of a periodicity, a number of configured iterations, a time domain resource allocation, and a frequency domain resource allocation.

[0149] In some embodiments, the step of transmitting the aggregate information includes broadcasting the aggregate information to cells served by the network node, multicasting the aggregate information to a group of UEs, and / or transmitting the aggregate information to individual UEs.

[0150] In some embodiments, the aggregate frequency and time domain resources are reserved for Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC) transmissions. In some embodiments, each of the first and second UEs is URLLC transmission capable.

[0151] FIG. 21 illustrates a schematic block diagram of an apparatus 2100 in a wireless network (e.g., the wireless network shown in FIG. 9). The apparatus may be implemented in a wireless device or a network node (e.g., the wireless device 910 or the network node 960 shown in FIG. 9). The apparatus 2100 is operable to perform the example method described with reference to FIG. 18, and possibly any other process or method disclosed herein. It should also be understood that the method of FIG. 18 is not necessarily performed solely by the apparatus 2100. At least some operations of the method may be performed by one or more other entities.

[0152] The virtual device 2100 may be implemented via processing circuitry, which may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers, as well as other digital hardware, which may include digital signal processors (DSPs), dedicated digital logic, etc. The processing circuitry may be configured to execute program code stored in memory, which may include one or more types of memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory, cache memory, flash memory devices, optical storage devices, etc. The program code stored in the memory includes program instructions for implementing one or more telecommunications and / or data communication protocols, as well as instructions for implementing one or more of the techniques described herein in some embodiments. In some implementations, the processing circuitry may be used to cause the receiving unit 2101 and the configuring unit 2104, as well as any other suitable units of the device 2100, to perform corresponding functions in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0153] As illustrated in FIG. 21, the apparatus 2100 includes a receiver 2102 configured to receive aggregated uplink (UL) information transmitted by a network node, optionally the aggregated UL information including an indication of aggregated frequency domain resources and aggregated time domain resources, and a configuration unit 2104 configured to configure a UL transmission based on the aggregated UL information.

[0154] FIG. 22 illustrates a schematic block diagram of an apparatus 2200 in a wireless network (e.g., the wireless network shown in FIG. 9). The apparatus may be implemented in a wireless device or a network node (e.g., the wireless device 910 or the network node 960 shown in FIG. 9). The apparatus 2200 is operable to perform the example method described with reference to FIG. 19, and possibly any other process or method disclosed herein. It should also be understood that the method of FIG. 19 is not necessarily performed solely by the apparatus 2200. At least some operations of the method may be performed by one or more other entities.

[0155] The virtual device 2200 may be implemented via processing circuitry, which may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers, as well as other digital hardware, which may include digital signal processors (DSPs), dedicated digital logic, etc. The processing circuitry may be configured to execute program code stored in memory, which may include one or more types of memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory, cache memory, flash memory devices, optical storage devices, etc. The program code stored in the memory includes program instructions for implementing one or more telecommunications and / or data communication protocols, as well as instructions for implementing one or more of the techniques described herein in some embodiments. In some implementations, the processing circuitry may be used to cause the transmitter 2202 and any other suitable units of the device 2200 to perform corresponding functions in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0156] As illustrated in FIG. 22, the apparatus 2200 includes a transmitter 2202 configured to transmit an uplink (UL) configuration to a network node, the uplink configuration being to be aggregated into aggregate information together with a second UL configuration from a second UE.

[0157] FIG. 23 illustrates a schematic block diagram of an apparatus 2300 in a wireless network (e.g., the wireless network shown in FIG. 9). The apparatus may be implemented in a wireless device or a network node (e.g., the wireless device 910 or the network node 960 shown in FIG. 9). The apparatus 2300 is operable to perform the example method described with reference to FIG. 20, and possibly any other process or method disclosed herein. It should also be understood that the method of FIG. 20 is not necessarily performed solely by the apparatus 2300. At least some operations of the method may be performed by one or more other entities.

[0158] The virtual device 2300 may be implemented via processing circuitry, which may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers, as well as other digital hardware, which may include digital signal processors (DSPs), dedicated digital logic, etc. The processing circuitry may be configured to execute program code stored in memory, which may include one or more types of memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory, cache memory, flash memory devices, optical storage devices, etc. The program code stored in the memory includes program instructions for implementing one or more telecommunications and / or data communication protocols, as well as instructions for implementing one or more of the techniques described herein in some embodiments. In some implementations, the processing circuitry may be used to cause the transmitting unit 2302, the aggregating unit 2306, and any other suitable units of the device 2300 to perform corresponding functions in accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0159] As illustrated in FIG. 23 , the apparatus 2300 includes an acquisition unit 2302 configured to acquire a first uplink (UL) configuration for a first user equipment (UE) and a second UL configuration for a second UE, an aggregation unit 2304 configured to aggregate the first UL and second UL configurations to form aggregated information, and a transmission unit 2306 for transmitting the aggregated information, optionally comprising an indication of aggregated frequency domain resources and aggregated time domain resources.

[0160] The term unit may have its conventional meaning in the art of electronic equipment, electrical devices, and / or electronic devices and may include, for example, electric and / or electronic circuits, devices, modules, processors, memories, logic solid state and / or discrete devices, computer programs or instructions for performing respective tasks, procedures, calculations, output and / or display functions, etc., as described herein.

[0161] A brief description of some of the embodiments

[0162] Group A Embodiments - Wireless Devices

[0163] A1. A method performed by a wireless device, comprising: receiving aggregate uplink (UL) information transmitted by a network node, optionally the aggregated UL information having an indication of aggregate frequency domain resources and aggregate time domain resources; and configuring a UL transmission based on the aggregated UL information.

[0164] A2. A method as described in A1, wherein configuring a UL transmission based on the aggregated UL information includes utilizing frequency and time domain resources other than the aggregated frequency domain resources and the aggregated time domain resources for the UL transmission.

[0165] A3. A method as described in A1 or A2, wherein configuring a UL transmission based on the aggregated UL information includes identifying a portion of the UL transmission that is scheduled to utilize frequency and time domain resources that overlap the aggregated frequency and time domain resources, and removing the identified portion of the UL transmission.

[0166] A4.A method as described in A1, wherein configuring a UL transmission based on the aggregated UL information includes identifying a portion of the aggregated frequency and time domain resources assigned to the UE, and utilizing (1) the identified portion of the aggregated frequency and time domain resources, and / or (2) frequency and time domain resources other than the aggregated frequency and time domain resources, for the UL transmission.

[0167] A5. A method according to any one of A1 to A4, wherein the aggregated UL information includes a list of UL configurations for two or more UEs.

[0168] A6. A method according to any one of A1 to A5, wherein the aggregated UL information includes UL configurations for two or more UEs sorted according to a predetermined criterion.

[0169] A7. The method of A5 as described in A6, wherein each of the two or more UEs is capable of URLLC transmission.

[0170] A8. A method according to any one of A1 to A7, wherein the aggregated frequency and time domain resources are reserved for URLLC transmission.

[0171] A9. A method performed by a wireless device, comprising at least one of transmitting an uplink (UL) configuration to a network node, the uplink configuration being to be aggregated into aggregate information with a second UL configuration from a second UE.

[0172] A10. A method according to any of the preceding embodiments, further comprising providing user data and transferring the user data to a host computer via the transmission to the base station.

[0173] Group B Embodiments - Base Station B1. A method performed by a base station comprising at least one of obtaining a first uplink (UL) configuration for a first user equipment (UE) and a second UL configuration for a second UE, aggregating the first UL and the second UL configurations to form aggregate information, and transmitting the aggregate information, optionally wherein the aggregate information includes an indication of aggregated frequency domain resources and aggregated time domain resources.

[0174] B2. The method of B1, wherein aggregating the first UL configuration and the second UL configuration includes listing the first UL configuration and the second UL configuration.

[0175] B3. A method as described in B1 or B2, wherein each of the first and second UL configurations includes one or more parameters that may optionally include one or more of periodicity, number of configured repetitions, time domain resource allocation, and frequency domain resource allocation.

[0176] B4.A method as described in B1, wherein aggregating the first UL configuration and the second UL configuration includes sorting the first UL configuration and the second UL configuration according to a predetermined criterion, thereby forming one or more aggregated UL configurations.

[0177] B5.A method as described in B4, wherein the one or more aggregate UL configurations include one or more parameters that may optionally include one or more of periodicity, number of configured repetitions, time domain resource allocation, and frequency domain resource allocation.

[0178] B6. A method according to any one of B1 to B5, wherein transmitting the aggregated information includes at least one of broadcasting the aggregated information to cells served by the network node, multicasting the aggregated information to a group of UEs, and transmitting the aggregated information to individual UEs.

[0179] B7. A method according to any one of B1 to B6, wherein the aggregated frequency and time domain resources are reserved for Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications (URLLC) transmissions.

[0180] B8. The method according to any one of B1 to B7, wherein each of the first and second UEs is capable of URLLC transmission.

[0181] B9. A method according to any of the preceding embodiments, further comprising obtaining user data and transferring the user data to a host computer or a wireless device.

[0182] Group C Embodiments C1. A wireless device comprising a processing circuit configured to perform any of the steps of any of the group A embodiments and a power supply circuit configured to provide power to the wireless device.

[0183] C2. A network node comprising: a processing circuit configured to perform any of the steps of any of the embodiments of Group B; and a power supply circuit configured to provide power to a wireless device.

[0184] C3. A user equipment (UE) comprising: an antenna configured to transmit and receive wireless signals; a radio front-end circuit connected to the antenna and a processing circuit and configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna and the processing circuit, the processing circuit configured to perform any of the steps of any of the embodiments of Group A; an input interface connected to the processing circuit and configured to enable input of information to the UE to be processed by the processing circuit; an output interface connected to the processing circuit and configured to output information from the UE that has been processed by the processing circuit; and a battery connected to the processing circuit and configured to provide power to the UE.

[0185] C4. A communications system including a host computer having processing circuitry configured to provide user data and a communications interface configured to forward the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE), the cellular network comprising a base station having a radio interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the base station configured to perform any of the steps of any of the Group B embodiments.

[0186] C5. The communication system of any preceding embodiment, further comprising the base station.

[0187] C6. The communication system of the previous two embodiments, further comprising the UE, the UE configured to communicate with the base station.

[0188] C7. A communications system as recited in any of the preceding three embodiments, wherein the processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application and thereby provide the user data, and the UE comprises processing circuitry configured to execute a client application associated with the host application.

[0189] C8. A method implemented in a communications system including a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment (UE), comprising: providing user data at the host computer; and initiating a transmission at the host computer conveying the user data to the UE over a cellular network comprising the base station, the base station performing any of the steps of any of the embodiments of Group B.

[0190] C9. The method of any preceding embodiment, further comprising transmitting, at the base station, the user data.

[0191] C10. The method of the two preceding embodiments, wherein the user data is provided at the host computer by executing a host application, and the method further comprises executing at the UE a client application associated with the host application.

[0192] C11. A user equipment (UE) configured to communicate with a base station, the UE comprising a radio interface and a processing circuit configured to execute the three preceding embodiments.

[0193] C12. A communications system including a host computer having processing circuitry configured to provide user data and a communications interface configured to transfer the user data to a cellular network for transmission to a user equipment (UE), the UE having a radio interface and processing circuitry, the components of the UE being configured to perform any of the steps of any of the embodiments of Group A.

[0194] C13. The communication system of any preceding embodiment, wherein the cellular network further includes a base station configured to communicate with the UE.

[0195] C14. A communications system as recited in any of the preceding two embodiments, wherein the processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application thereby providing the user data, and the processing circuitry of the UE is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application.

[0196] C15. A method implemented in a communications system including a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment (UE), comprising: providing user data at the host computer; and initiating a transmission at the host computer conveying the user data to the UE via a cellular network including the base station, wherein the UE performs any of the steps of any of the embodiments of Group A.

[0197] C16. The method of any preceding embodiment, further comprising receiving, at the UE, the user data from the base station.

[0198] C17. A communications system including a host computer having a communications interface configured to receive user data resulting from a transmission from a user equipment (UE) to a base station, the UE having a radio interface and processing circuitry, the UE processing circuitry configured to perform any of the steps of any of the embodiments of Group A.

[0199] C18. The communication system of any preceding embodiment, further comprising the UE.

[0200] C19. The communication system of the two preceding embodiments, further comprising the base station, the base station comprising a radio interface configured to communicate with the UE, and a communication interface configured to transfer the user data carried by a transmission from the UE to the base station to the host computer.

[0201] C20. The communications system of any of the preceding three embodiments, wherein the processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application, and the processing circuitry of the UE is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application, thereby providing the user data.

[0202] C21. A communications system as recited in any of the preceding four embodiments, wherein the processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application and thereby provide requested data, and the processing circuitry of the UE is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application and thereby provide the user data responsive to the requested data.

[0203] C22. A method implemented in a communications system including a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment (UE), comprising receiving, at the host computer, user data transmitted from the UE to the base station, the UE performing any of the steps of any of the embodiments of Group A.

[0204] C23. The method according to any preceding embodiment, further comprising, at the UE, providing the user data to the base station.

[0205] C24. The method of any one of the preceding two embodiments, further comprising: executing, at the UE, a client application thereby providing the user data to be transmitted; and executing, at the host computer, a host application associated with the client application.

[0206] C25. A method according to any of the preceding three embodiments, further comprising: executing, at the UE, a client application; and receiving, at the UE, input data for the client application, the input data being provided at the host computer by executing a host application associated with the client application; and the user data to be transmitted is provided by the client application in response to the input data.

[0207] C26. A communications system including a host computer having a communications interface configured to receive user data resulting from a transmission from a user equipment (UE) to a base station, the base station having a radio interface and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry of the base station configured to perform any of the steps of any of the Group B embodiments.

[0208] C27. The communication system of any preceding embodiment, further comprising the base station.

[0209] C28. The communication system of the previous two embodiments, further comprising the UE, the UE configured to communicate with the base station.

[0210] C29. A communications system as recited in any of the preceding three embodiments, wherein the processing circuitry of the host computer is configured to execute a host application, and the UE is configured to execute a client application associated with the host application, thereby providing the user data to be received by the host computer.

[0211] C30. A method implemented in a communications system including a host computer, a base station, and a user equipment (UE), comprising receiving, at the host computer, user data from the base station originating from a transmission received by the base station from the UE, the UE performing any of the steps of any of the embodiments of Group A.

[0212] C31. The method according to any preceding embodiment, further comprising receiving, at the base station, the user data from the UE.

[0213] C32. The method according to any of the preceding two embodiments, further comprising initiating, at the base station, transmission of the received user data to the host computer.

[0214] While various embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein, it should be understood that they are presented by way of example only, and not by way of limitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments. Moreover, the present disclosure encompasses any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context.

[0215] Additionally, while the processes described above and illustrated in the Figures are shown as a series of steps, this is done for illustrative purposes only, and it is contemplated that some steps may be added, some steps may be omitted, the order of the steps may be rearranged, and some steps may be performed in parallel.

[0216] Abbreviation

[0217] In this disclosure, at least some of the following abbreviations may be used. In case of discrepancies between the abbreviations, how it is used above shall prevail. If listed multiple times below, the first listing shall prevail over any subsequent listings. 1x RTT CDMA2000 1x Wireless Transmission Technology 3GPP 3rd Generation Partnership Project 5G 5th Generation ABS Almost Blank Subframe ARQ Automatic Repeat Request AWGN Additive White Gaussian Noise BCCH Broadcast Control Channel BCH Broadcast Channel CA Carrier Aggregation CC Carrier Components CCCH SDU Common Control Channel SDU CDMA code division multiple access CGI Cell Global Identifier CIR Channel Impulse Response CP Cyclic Prefix CPICH Common Pilot Channel CPICH Ec / No CPICH received energy per chip divided by the power density in the band CQI Channel Quality Information C-RNTI Cell RNTI CSI Channel State Information DCCH Dedicated Control Channel DL Downlink DM Demodulation DMRS Demodulation Reference Signal DRX Intermittent reception DTX Intermittent transmission DTCH Dedicated Traffic Channel DUT Device under test E-CID Advanced Cell ID (positioning method) E-SMLC Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center ECGI Advanced CGI eNB E-UTRAN Node B ePDCCH Evolved Physical Downlink Control Channel E-SMLC Evolved Serving Mobile Location Center E-UTRA Evolved UTRA E-UTRAN Evolved UTRAN FDD Frequency Division Duplex FFS open issues GERAN GSM EDGE Radio Access Network gNB NR base station GNSS Global Navigation Satellite System GSM Global System for Mobile Communications HARQ Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request HO Handover HSPA High Speed ​​Packet Access HRPD High Speed ​​Packet Data LOS line of sight LPP LTE Positioning Protocol LTE Long Term Evolution MAC Media Access Control MBMS Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service MBSFN Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service Single Frequency Network MBSFN ABS MBSFN Almost Blank Subframe Minimizing MDT Drive Test MIB Master Information Block MME Mobility Management Entity MSC Mobile Switching Centre NPDCCH Narrowband Physical Downlink Control Channel NR New Radio OCNG OFDMA channel noise generator OFDM Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing OFDMA Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access OSS operation support system OTDOA Observed time difference of arrival O&M operation and maintenance PBCH Physical Broadcast Channel P-CCPCH Primary Common Control Physical Channel PCell Primary Cell PCFICH Physical Control Format Indicator Channel PDCCH Physical Downlink Control Channel PDP Profile Delay Profile PDSCH Physical Downlink Shared Channel PGW Packet Gateway PHICH Physical Hybrid-ARQ Indicator Channel PLMN Public Land Mobile Network PMI Precoder Matrix Indicator PRACH Physical Random Access Channel PRS Positioning Reference Signal PSS Primary Synchronization Signal PUCCH Physical Uplink Control Channel PUSCH Physical Uplink Shared Channel RACH Random Access Channel QAM Quadrature Amplitude Modulation RAN Radio Access Network RAT Radio Access Technology RLM Radio Link Management RNC Wireless Network Controller RNTI Wireless Network Temporary Identification RRC Radio Resource Control RRM Radio Resource Management RS reference signal RSCP Received Signal Code Power RSRP Reference Symbol Received Power or Reference Signal Received Power RSRQ Reference signal reception quality or reference symbol reception quality RSSI Received Signal Strength Indicator RSTD Reference signal time difference SCH Synchronization Channel SCell Secondary Cell SDU Service Data Unit SFN System Frame Number SGW Serving Gateway SI System Information SIB System Information Block SNR Signal to Noise Ratio SON Self-optimizing Network SS Sync Signal SSS Secondary Synchronization Signal TDD Time Division Duplex TDOA arrival time difference TOA arrival timing TSS Tertiary Synchronization Signal TTI Transmission Time Interval UE User Equipment UL Uplink UMTS Universal Mobile Telecommunications System USIM Universal Subscriber Identity Module UTDOA Uplink Time Difference of Arrival UTRA Universal Terrestrial Radio Access UTRAN Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network WCDMA Wide CDMA WLAN Wide Area Local Area Network LAN

Claims

1. 1. A method performed by a first wireless device, comprising: receiving aggregated uplink information transmitted by a network node, the aggregated uplink information including an indication of at least one uplink resource that the wireless device should treat as a reserved resource; and configuring an uplink transmission based on the aggregated uplink information.

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the uplink transmission based on the aggregated uplink information includes utilizing a set of uplink resources for the uplink transmission, the set of uplink resources not including the uplink resources indicated by the aggregated uplink information.

3. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the uplink transmission based on the aggregated uplink information comprises: identifying a portion of the uplink transmission that is scheduled to utilize the reserved uplink resources; and removing the identified portion of the uplink transmission.

4. 2. The method of claim 1 , the aggregated uplink information includes an indication of a set of uplink resources; identifying uplink resources included in the set of uplink resources assigned to the first wireless device; utilizing, for the uplink transmission, 1) the identified uplink resources, and / or 2) uplink resources not included in the set of uplink resources.

5. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the aggregated uplink information comprises a first uplink configuration for a second wireless device and a second uplink configuration for a third wireless device.

6. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the aggregated uplink information comprises uplink configurations for two or more wireless devices sorted according to a predetermined criterion.

7. 7. The method of claim 5 or 6, wherein each of the two or more wireless devices is URLLC capable.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the reserved uplink resources are reserved for URLLC transmission.

9. 1. A method performed by a first wireless device, comprising:

11. A method comprising: transmitting an uplink configuration to a network node, the uplink configuration to be aggregated into aggregate information with a second uplink configuration from a second wireless device.

10. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the aggregate information is an aggregate uplink configured grant configuration generated by the network node based on at least a first uplink configured grant configuration and a second uplink configured grant configuration.

11. 1. A method performed by a base station, comprising: Obtaining a first uplink configuration for a first user equipment (UE) and a second uplink configuration for a second UE; aggregating the first uplink configuration and the second uplink configuration to form an aggregated uplink configuration; transmitting the aggregated uplink configuration, the aggregated uplink configuration including an indication of at least one uplink resource assigned to the first UE and / or the second UE.

12. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein aggregating the first uplink configuration and the second uplink configuration comprises: generating a message including the first uplink configuration and the second uplink configuration.

13. 13. The method of claim 11 or 12, wherein each of the first uplink configuration and the second uplink configuration comprises one or more parameters indicative of a periodicity, a number of configured repetitions, a time domain resource allocation, and / or a frequency domain resource allocation.

14. 14. The method of claim 11, wherein aggregating the first uplink configuration and the second uplink configuration comprises: sorting the first uplink configuration and the second uplink configuration according to a predetermined criterion, thereby forming one or more aggregated uplink configurations.

15. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more aggregated uplink configurations include one or more parameters indicative of a periodicity, a number of configured repetitions, a time domain resource allocation, and / or a frequency domain resource allocation.

16. 16. The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting the aggregated uplink configuration comprises: A method comprising: broadcasting the aggregated uplink configuration in a cell served by the network node, multicasting the aggregated uplink configuration to a group of UEs, and / or transmitting the aggregated uplink configuration to individual UEs.

17. 17. The method of any one of claims 11 to 16, wherein the reserved resources are reserved for ultra-reliable, low-latency communication transmissions.

18. 18. The method of any one of claims 11 to 17, wherein each of the first and second UEs is URLLC capable.

19. A computer program comprising instructions which, when executed by a processing circuit, cause the processing circuit to carry out a method according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

20. 20. A carrier containing the computer program of claim 19, the carrier being one of an electrical signal, an optical signal, a radio signal, and a computer readable storage medium.

21. A first wireless device, the first wireless device comprising: receiving aggregated uplink information transmitted by a network node, the aggregated uplink information including an indication of at least one uplink resource that the wireless device should treat as a reserved resource; and configuring an uplink transmission based on the aggregated uplink information.

22. A base station, the base station comprising: Obtaining a first uplink configuration for a first user equipment (UE) and a second uplink configuration for a second UE; aggregating the first uplink configuration and the second uplink configuration to form an aggregated uplink configuration; and transmitting the aggregated uplink configuration, the aggregated uplink configuration including an indication of at least one uplink resource assigned to the first UE and / or the second UE.

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