Method of data transmission, user equipment, and base station

Abstract

To provide a multi-band mobile communication system, a method, user equipment, and a base station that suitably switch sub-bands or bandwidth portions (BWPs).SOLUTION: A method includes receiving, by user equipment (UE), a configuration message indicating one or more frequency bands for transmitting a wireless signal, determining, by the UE, a subset of the one or more frequency bands, performing a listen-before-talk (LBT) operation for each frequency band of the subset of the one or more frequency bands, and transmitting a wireless signal on at least one of the frequency bands of the subset. The transmitting step includes transmitting at least one of a random access request, an information data signal, or a control signal. The determining step includes determining a BWP for the frequency bands of the subset, the BWP spanning at least one of the frequency bands of the subset.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 23

Description

[Background technology]

[0001] [CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 158,943, filed March 10, 2021 (the "Provisional Application"), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] [Background technology] This invention is directed to 5G, the fifth generation mobile network. It is the new global wireless standard following 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks. 5G enables networks designed to connect machines, objects, and devices.

[0003] More particularly, the present invention relates to a bandwidth portion (BWP) switching mechanism for user equipment (UE) having an enhanced signaling scheme transmitted by a base station to a UE or group of UEs that identifies one or more frequency bands. In one embodiment, a UE can select a subset of one or more frequency bands and determine which frequency band to utilize when transmitting information data to a base station (BS) from among the subset of one or more frequency bands. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method for data transmission, the method including: receiving, by a user equipment (UE), a configuration message indicating one or more frequency bands for transmitting a wireless signal; and determining, by the UE, a subset of the one or more frequency bands. The UE then performs a listen-before-talk (LBT) operation for each frequency band of the subset of one or more frequency bands, and the UE transmits a wireless signal on at least one of the frequency bands of the subset. The transmitting step may include transmitting at least one of a random access request, an information data signal, or a control signal. The determining step may include determining a bandwidth portion (BWP) for at least one of the frequency bands of the subset, the BWP spanning at least one of the frequency bands of the subset; and selecting the BWP for transmission of the wireless signal.

[0005] The bandwidth portion (BWP) may include a first portion for transmitting a random access request and a second portion for transmitting information data and / or control signals. The transmitting step may include transmitting the random access request in the first portion of the bandwidth portion (BWP) and transmitting the information data signal and / or control signal in the second portion of the BWP. The configuration message may include identification information specifying the bandwidth and location of each of the one or more frequency bands of the subset. The configuration message may be received via a radio resource layer (RRC) protocol, dedicated user equipment (UE)-specific signaling, and / or via a downlink control information (DCI) message including identification information specifying the bandwidth and location of each of the one or more frequency bands of the subset.

[0006] Preferably, the user equipment (UE) is located within a cell of the wireless network, and the configuration message is received via common signaling shared by the UE and other UEs within the cell of the wireless network. The downlink control information (DCI) message is specific to the user equipment (UE).

[0007] In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method for data transmission, the method comprising: determining, by a base station, a subset of a plurality of available frequency bands; transmitting, by the base station, a configuration message indicating the subset of the plurality of available frequency bands for receiving radio signals by the base station; monitoring, by the base station, the subset of the plurality of available frequency bands; and detecting, by the base station, a radio signal comprising a random access request, information data, and / or control signaling from a user equipment (UE) in at least one frequency band of the subset of available frequency bands.

[0008] The method may further include measuring a key performance indicator (KPI) in each available frequency band and determining a subset of the plurality of available frequency bands based on the quality of the KPI. The method may further include performing a listen-before-talk (LBT) operation in each available frequency band and determining a subset of the plurality of available frequency bands based on a successful result in each available frequency band. The configuration message may include identification information specifying a bandwidth and a location of one or more frequency bands in the subset.

[0009] Preferably, the configuration message is transmitted via a radio resource layer (RRC) protocol, user equipment (UE) specific, dedicated signaling to the UE, common signaling to a group of user equipment (UE) located within a cell of the wireless network, the common signaling being shared among the group of UEs, and / or a downlink control information (DCI) message containing identification information specifying the bandwidth and location of each of the one or more frequency bands of the subset, the DCI message being user equipment (UE) specific.

[0010] In one embodiment, the present invention provides a user equipment (UE), including: a transceiver configured to receive a configuration message indicating one or more frequency bands for transmitting wireless signals; and a processor configured to communicate with the transceiver and to perform a listen-before-talk (LBT) operation for each frequency band of the one or more frequency bands to determine at least one subset frequency band of the one or more frequency bands, wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit wireless signals in the at least one subset frequency band of the one or more frequency bands.

[0011] In one embodiment, the present invention provides a base station, the base station including: a processor configured to determine a subset of one or more frequency bands; and a transceiver in communication with the processor and configured to: a) send a configuration message indicating the subset of the one or more frequency bands; b) monitor the subset of the one or more frequency bands; and c) detect radio signals including random access requests, information data, and control signaling from user equipment (UE) in the one or more frequency bands of the subset.

[0012] In one embodiment, the present invention provides a non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon, the program code including: code for controlling a user equipment (UE), a portion of which is operable to receive a configuration message indicating one or more frequency bands for transmitting wireless signals; code for controlling the UE to determine a subset of the one or more frequency bands; code for controlling the UE to perform a listen-before-talk (LBT) operation for each frequency band of the subset of the one or more frequency bands; and code for controlling the UE to transmit wireless signals in at least one frequency band of the subset of the one or more frequency bands.

[0013] In one embodiment, the present invention provides a non-transitory computer readable medium having program code recorded thereon, the program code including: code for controlling a base station, a portion of which is operable, to determine a subset of a plurality of frequency bands for transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals; code for controlling the base station to send a configuration message indicating the subset of the plurality of frequency bands for receiving wireless signals; code for controlling the base station to monitor the subset of the plurality of frequency bands; and code for controlling the base station to detect, in at least one of the subset of the plurality of frequency bands, a wireless signal comprising a random access request, information data, and control signaling from a UE. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a mobile communication system in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0015] [Figure 2] 2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating example radio protocol stacks for the user plane and control plane in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0016] [Figure 3] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating example mappings between logical channels and transport channels in the downlink and uplink in accordance with certain aspects of various example embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] [Figure 4] 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating example mappings between transport channels and physical channels in the downlink and uplink in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] [Figure 5] 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating example mappings between logical, transport, and physical channels in the downlink and uplink in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0019] [Figure 6] 1A-1C illustrate example physical signals in the downlink and uplink in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] [Figure 7] 1 illustrates an example of radio resource control (RRC) states and transitions between different RRC states in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] [Figure 8] FIG. 1 illustrates an example frame structure and physical resources in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022] [Figure 9] 1A-1C illustrate example component carrier configurations in different carrier aggregation scenarios in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0023] [Figure 10] 1 illustrates exemplary bandwidth portion configurations and switching in accordance with some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0024] [Figure 11] 1 illustrates an example of a sub-band mobile communication system in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0025] [Figure 12A] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a bandwidth portion switching process in accordance with some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 12B] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a bandwidth portion switching process in accordance with some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a signaling diagram of a four-stage random access process in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0027] [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a signaling diagram of a two-stage random access process in accordance with some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0028] [Figure 15] FIG. 1 illustrates a tabular representation of an exemplary Master Information Block (MIB) similar to the MIB specified in 3GPP® Resources.

[0029] [Figure 16-1] FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a tabular representation of an exemplary information element (IE) SIB1 similar to the IE SIB1 specified in 3GPP® Resources. [Figure 16-2] FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a tabular representation of an exemplary information element (IE) SIB1 similar to the IE SIB1 specified in 3GPP® Resources.

[0030] [Figure 17] 1 illustrates a tabular representation of an exemplary uplink information element (IE) BWP-uplink, similar to the IE BWP-Uplink specified in 3GPP® Resources.

[0031] [Figure 18] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a user end (UE) device according to certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0032] [Figure 19] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a base station device in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0033] [Figure 20] 1 illustrates an example of a downlink control information message structure in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0034] [Figure 21] 1 illustrates an example of a downlink control information message structure in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0035] [Figure 22] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a bandwidth portion switching method in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0036] [Figure 23] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a bandwidth portion switching method in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0037] 1 illustrates an example of a mobile communication system 100 according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The mobile communication system 100 may be operated by a wireless communication system operator, such as a mobile network operator (MNO), a private network operator, a multi-system operator (MSO), an Internet of Things (IoT) network operator, etc., and may provide services such as voice, data (e.g., wireless Internet access), messaging, vehicular communication services such as vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-infrastructure, and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication services, safety services, mission-critical services, and services in residential, commercial, or industrial environments, such as IoT and Industrial IoT (IIOT).

[0038] The mobile communication system 100 can enable various types of applications with different requirements regarding latency, reliability, throughput, etc. Examples of supported applications include enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine-type communications (mMTC). eMBB can support stable connections with high peak data rates and moderate rates for cell-edge users. URLLC can support applications with stringent requirements regarding latency and reliability, as well as moderate requirements regarding data rates. An exemplary mMTC application includes a network of many IoT devices that are only sporadically active and transmit small data payloads.

[0039] The mobile communication system 100 may include a radio access network (RAN) portion and a core network portion. In the example shown in FIG. 1 , a Next Generation RAN (NG-RAN) 105 and a 5G Core Network (5GC) 110 are shown as examples of a RAN and a core network, respectively. Other examples of a RAN and a core network may be implemented without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Other examples of a RAN include an Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN), a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), etc. Other examples of a core network include an Evolved Packet Core (EPC), a UMTS Core Network (UCN), etc. The RAN implements a radio access technology (RAT) and resides between a user equipment (UE) 125 and the core network. Examples of such RATs include New Radio (NR), Long Term Evolution (LTE), also known as Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access (EUTRA), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), etc. The RAT of the example mobile communication system 100 may be NR. The core network exists between the RAN and one or more external networks (e.g., data networks) and is responsible for functions such as mobility management, authentication, session management, bearer setup, and application of different Quality of Service (QoS). The functional layer between the UE 125 and the RAN (e.g., NG-RAN 105) may be referred to as the Access Stratum (AS), and the functional layer between the UE 125 and the core network (e.g., 5GC 110) may be referred to as the Non-access Stratum (NAS).

[0040] The UE 125 may include wireless transmission and reception means for communicating with one or more nodes in a RAN, one or more relay nodes, one or more other UEs, etc. Examples of UEs include, but are not limited to, smartphones, tablets, laptops, computers, wireless transmitting and / or receiving units in vehicles, V2X or vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) devices, wireless sensors, IoT devices, IIOT devices, etc. Other names may be used for the UE, such as mobile station (MS), terminal equipment, terminal node, client device, mobile device, etc.

[0041] The RAN may include nodes (e.g., base stations) for communicating with UEs. For example, the NG-RAN 105 of the mobile communication system 100 may include nodes for communicating with the UEs 125. Different names may be used for the RAN nodes depending, for example, on the RAT used for the RAN. A RAN node may be referred to as a Node B (NB) in a RAN using the UMTS RAT. A RAN node may be referred to as an Evolved Node B (eNB) in a RAN using the LTE / EUTRA RAT. In the illustrative example of the mobile communication system 100 of FIG. 1 , the nodes of the NG-RAN 105 may be either a Next Generation Node B (gNB) 115 or a Next Generation Evolved Node B (ng-eNB) 120. In this specification, the terms base station, RAN node, gNB, and ng-eNB may be used interchangeably. The gNB 115 is a NR user plane and control plane protocol termination point. The ng-eNB 120 may provide E-UTRA user plane and control plane protocol terminations toward the UE 125. The interface between the gNB 115 and the UE 125 or between the ng-eNB 120 and the UE 125 may be referred to as a Uu interface. The Uu interface may be established using a user plane protocol stack and a control plane protocol stack. For the Uu interface, the direction from the base station (e.g., the gNB 115 or the ng-eNB 120) to the UE 125 may be referred to as a downlink (DL), and the direction from the UE 125 to the base station (e.g., the gNB 115 or the ng-eNB 120) may be referred to as an uplink (UL).

[0042] The gNB 115 and the ng-eNB 120 may be interconnected using an Xn interface. The Xn interface may include an Xn user plane (Xn-U) interface and an Xn control plane (Xn-C) interface. The transport network layer of the Xn-U interface may be built on Internet Protocol (IP) transport, and GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP) may be used on User Datagram Protocol (UDP) / IP to carry user plane protocol data units (PDUs). Xn-U may provide non-guaranteed delivery of user plane PDUs and may support data forwarding and flow control. The transport network layer of the Xn-C interface may be built on Stream Control Transport Protocol (SCTP) over IP. The application layer signaling protocol may be referred to as Xn Application Protocol (XnAP). The SCTP layer may provide guaranteed delivery of application layer messages. At the transport IP layer, point-to-point transmission may be used to deliver signaling PDUs. The Xn-C interface can support Xn interface management, UE mobility management including context transfer and RAN paging, and dual connectivity.

[0043] The gNB 115 and ng-eNB 120 may also be connected to the 5GC 110 via an NG interface, more specifically to the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 130 of the 5GC 110 via an NG-C interface, and to the User Plane Function (UPF) 135 of the 5GC 110 via an NG-U interface. The transport network layer of the NG-U interface may be built on IP transport and may carry user plane PDUs between the NG-RAN node (e.g., the gNB 115 or ng-eNB 120) and the UPF 135 using the GTP protocol over UDP / IP. The NG-U may provide non-guaranteed delivery of user plane PDUs between the NG-RAN node and the UPF. The transport network layer of the NG-C interface may be built on IP transport. SCTP may be added on top of IP for reliable transmission of signaling messages. The application layer signaling protocol may be referred to as the NG Application Protocol (NGAP). The SCTP layer may provide guaranteed delivery of application layer messages. For transport, IP layer point-to-point transmission may be used to deliver signaling PDUs. The NG-C interface may provide the following functions: NG interface management, UE context management, UE mobility management, NAS message transfer, paging, PDU session management, configuration transfer, and alert message transfer.

[0044] The gNB 115 or ng-eNB 120 is responsible for the following functions: radio bearer control, radio admission control, connection mobility control, radio resource management functions such as dynamic allocation of resources (e.g., scheduling) to UEs in both uplink and downlink, IP and Ethernet header compression, encryption and integrity protection of data, and The 5G NR may host one or more of the following: AMF selection at UE attachment when routing to the AMF cannot be determined from information provided by the NR, routing of user plane data to the UPF, routing of control plane information to the AMF, connection setup and release, scheduling and transmission of paging messages, scheduling and transmission of system broadcast information (e.g., derived from the AMF), measurement and measurement reporting configuration for mobility and scheduling, transport level packet marking in the uplink, session management, support for network slicing, QoS flow management and mapping to data radio bearers, support for UEs in RRC inactive state, delivery functionality for NAS messages, radio access network sharing, dual connectivity, close interaction between NR and E-UTRA, and maintaining security and radio configuration for user plane 5G System (5GS) Cellular IoT (CIoT) optimization.

[0045] The AMF 130 may host one or more of the following functions: NAS signaling termination, NAS signaling security, AS security control, CN inter-node signaling for mobility between 3GPP access networks, idle mode UE reachability (including control and execution of paging retransmissions), registration area management, support for intra-system and inter-system mobility, access authentication, access authorization including verification of roaming rights, mobility management control (subscription and policy), support for network slicing, Session Management Function (SMF) selection, 5GS CIoT optimization selection.

[0046] The UPF 135 may host one or more of the following functions: anchor point for intra / inter-RAT mobility (if applicable); external PDU session point for interconnection to the data network; packet routing and forwarding; user plane portion of packet inspection and policy rule enforcement; traffic usage reporting; uplink classifier supporting routing of traffic flows to the data network; branching point to support multi-homed PDU sessions; QoS processing for the user plane, e.g., packet filtering, gating, UL / DL rate enforcement, uplink traffic validation (Service Data Flow (SDF) to QoS flow mapping); and downlink packet buffering and downlink data notification triggering.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 1, the NG-RAN 105 can support a PC5 interface between two UEs 125 (e.g., UE 125A and UE 125B). In the PC5 interface, the direction of communication between the two UEs (e.g., from UE 125A to UE 125B or vice versa) may be referred to as a sidelink. Sidelink transmission and reception over the PC5 interface may be supported when the UE 125 is within NG-RAN 105 coverage and when the UE is out of NG-RAN 105 coverage, regardless of which RRC state the UE 125 is in. Support for V2X services over the PC5 interface may be provided by NR sidelink communication and / or V2X sidelink communication.

[0048] PC5-S signaling can be used for unicast link establishment with direct communication request / accept messages. The UE can self-assign the source Layer-2 ID of the PC5 unicast link based on, for example, the V2X service type. During the unicast link establishment procedure, a UE can send its source Layer-2 ID for a PC5 unicast link to a peer UE, e.g., the UE from which the destination ID was received from a higher layer. The source Layer-2 ID and destination Layer-2 ID pair can uniquely identify a unicast link. The receiving UE can then determine whether the destination ID is associated with it. The PC5 unicast link establishment procedure can verify that the UE belongs to the same UE and can accept the unicast link establishment request from the source UE. During the PC5 unicast link establishment procedure, PC5-RRC procedures on the access stratum can be invoked for the purpose of UE sidelink context establishment, as well as for AS layer configuration, capability exchange, etc. PC5-RRC signaling can enable the exchange of AS layer configuration, such as UE capabilities and sidelink radio bearer configuration, between a pair of UEs with which a PC5 unicast link has been established.

[0049] NR sidelink communication can support one of three types of transmission modes (e.g., unicast transmission, groupcast transmission, and broadcast transmission) for a pair of source Layer 2 ID and destination Layer 2 ID in an AS. The unicast transmission mode can be characterized by supporting one PC5-RRC connection between peer UEs for the pair, transmitting and receiving control information and user traffic between peer UEs on the sidelink, supporting sidelink HARQ feedback, supporting sidelink transmit power control, supporting RLC acknowledged mode (AM), and detecting radio link failures for the PC5-RRC connection. The groupcast transmission can be characterized by transmitting and receiving user traffic between UEs belonging to a group on the sidelink and supporting sidelink HARQ feedback. The broadcast transmission can be characterized by transmitting and receiving user traffic between UEs on the sidelink.

[0050] NR sidelink communications may use a source Layer-2 ID, a destination Layer-2 ID, and a PC5 link identifier. The source Layer-2 ID may be a link layer identifier that identifies the device or group of devices that is the recipient of the sidelink communication frame. The destination Layer-2 ID may be a link layer identifier that identifies the device that originates the sidelink communication frame. In some examples, the source Layer-2 ID and the destination Layer-2 ID may be assigned by a management function in the core network. The source Layer-2 ID may identify the source of data in NR sidelink communications. The source Layer-2 ID may be 24 bits long and may be split into two bit strings at the MAC layer. One bit string may be the least significant 8-bit portion of the source Layer-2 ID and may be forwarded to the sender's physical layer. This may identify the source of the intended data in the sidelink control information and may be used for packet filtering at the receiver's physical layer. The second bit string may be the most significant 16-bit portion of the source Layer-2 ID and may be carried in the medium access control (MAC) header. This can be used for packet filtering at the receiver's MAC layer. The destination Layer 2 ID can identify the target of data in NR sidelink communication. For NR sidelink communication, the destination Layer 2 ID may be 24 bits long and may be split into two bit strings at the MAC layer. One bit string may be the least significant byte (16 bits) of the destination Layer 2 ID and may be forwarded to the sender's physical layer. This can identify the target of the intended data in the sidelink control information and can be used for packet filtering at the receiver's physical layer. The second bit string may be the most significant byte (8 bits) of the destination Layer 2 ID and may be carried in the MAC header. This can be used for packet filtering at the receiver's MAC layer. The PC5 link identifier can uniquely identify a PC5 unicast link within the UE for the lifetime of the PC5 unicast link.The PC5 link identifier may be used to indicate the PC5 unicast link for which the sidelink radio link failure (RLF) declaration was made and the PC5-RRC connection was released.

[0051] 2A and 2B illustrate example radio protocol stacks for the user plane and control plane, respectively, in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2A, the protocol stack for the user plane of the Uu interface (between the UE 125 and the gNB 115) includes the Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SADAP). The Layer 1 includes a Layer 2 sublayer and a Physical (PHY) 205 and a Physical Layer 215 layer (Layer 1 is also referred to as L1).

[0052] The PHY 205 and PHY 215 provide transport channels 244 to the MAC 204 and MAC 214 sublayers. The MAC 204 and MAC 214 sublayers provide logical channels 243 to the RLC 203 and RLC 213 sublayers. The RLC 203 and RLC 213 sublayers provide RLC channels 242 to the PDCP 202 and PCP 212 sublayers. The PDCP 202 and PDCP 212 sublayers provide radio bearers 241 to the SDAP 201 and SDAP 211 sublayers. Radio bearers may be categorized into two groups: data radio bearers (DRBs) for user plane data and signaling radio bearers (SRBs) for control plane data. The SDAP 201 and SDAP 211 sublayers provide QoS flows 240 to the 5GC.

[0053] The main services and functions of the MAC204 or MAC214 sublayer include mapping between logical channels and transport channels, multiplexing / demultiplexing MAC service data units (SDUs) belonging to one or different logical channels into / from transport blocks (TBs) passed to / from the physical layer on transport channels, scheduling information reporting, error correction using Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) (one HARQ entity per cell in the case of carrier aggregation (CA)), priority handling between UEs using dynamic scheduling, priority handling between logical channels of one UE using Logical Channel Prioritization (LCP), priority handling between overlapping resources of one UE, and padding. A single MAC entity can support multiple numerologies, transmission timings, and cells. Mapping restrictions in logical channel prioritization control the numerologies, cells, and transmission timings that a logical channel can use.

[0054] The HARQ function can guarantee delivery between peer entities at Layer 1. If the physical layer is not configured for downlink / uplink spatial multiplexing, a single HARQ process can support one TB, and if the physical layer is configured for downlink / uplink spatial multiplexing, a single HARQ process can support one or more TBs.

[0055] The RLC203 or RLC213 sublayer can support three transmission modes: transparent mode (TM), unacknowledged mode (UM), and acknowledged mode (AM). The RLC configuration may be per logical channel independent of the numerology and / or transmission time, and automatic repeat request (ARQ) may operate with any of the numerologies and / or transmission times for which the logical channel is configured.

[0056] The main services and functions of the RLC203 or RLC213 sublayer depend on the transmission mode (e.g., TM, UM, or AM) and may include transport of upper layer PDUs, sequence numbers independent of PDCP sequence numbers (UM and AM), error correction via ARQ (AM only), segmentation (AM and UM) and resegmentation (AM only) of RLC SDUs, reassembly of SDUs (AM and UM), duplicate detection (AM only), RLC SDU discard (AM and UM), RLC re-establishment, and protocol error detection (AM only).

[0057] An automatic repeat request in the RLC203 or RLC213 sublayer may have the following characteristics: ARQ is a request for an RLC SDU or an RLC SDU segment based on an RLC status report. The RLC receiver may also trigger an RLC status notification after detecting a missing RLC SDU or RLC SDU segment.

[0058] The main services and functions of the PDCP202 or PDCP212 sublayer may include forwarding of data (user plane or control plane), maintaining the PDCP sequence number (SN), header compression and decompression using the Robust Header Compression (ROHC) protocol, header compression and decompression using the EHC protocol, encryption and decryption, integrity protection and integrity verification, timer-based SDU discard, split bearer routing, duplication, reordering and in-order delivery, out-of-order delivery, and duplicate discarding.

[0059] The main services and functions of the SDAP 201 or SDAP 211 include mapping between QoS flows and data radio bearers, and marking QoS Flow IDs (QFIs) in both downlink and uplink packets. A single protocol entity of the SDAP may be configured for each individual PDU session.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 2B, the control plane protocol stack of the Uu interface (between UE 125 and gNB 115) includes the PHY layer (Layer 1), the MAC, RLC and PDCP sublayers of Layer 2, and further the RRC206 and RRC216 sublayers, as described above. The main services and functions of the RRC206 and RRC216 sublayers on the Uu interface include broadcasting of system information related to the AS and NAS, paging initiated by 5GC or NG-RAN, establishment, maintenance, and release of RRC connections between the UE and NG-RAN (including adding, modifying, and releasing carrier aggregation, and adding, modifying, and releasing dual connectivity between NR or E-UTRA and NR), security functions including key management, establishment, configuration, maintenance, and release of SRBs and DRBs, mobility functions (including handover and context transfer, UE cell selection and reselection and cell selection and reselection control, and inter-RAT mobility), QoS management functions, UE measurement reporting and reporting control, radio link failure detection and recovery, and forwarding of NAS messages between the NAS and the UE. The NAS207 and NAS227 layers are control protocols (terminated in the AMF on the network side) that perform functions such as authentication, mobility management, and security control.

[0061] Sidelink specific services and functions of the RRC sublayer over the Uu interface include configuration of sidelink resource allocation via system information or dedicated signaling, reporting of UE sidelink information, sidelink related measurement configuration and reporting, and reporting of UE assistance information for SL traffic patterns.

[0062] 3A and 3B illustrate example mappings between logical channels and transport channels in the downlink and uplink, respectively, according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Different types of data transfer services may be provided by the MAC. Each logical channel type may be defined by what type of information is transferred. Logical channels may be classified into two groups: control channels and traffic channels. Control channels may be used only for transferring control plane information. The Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH) is a downlink channel for broadcasting system control information. The Paging Control Channel (PCCH) is a downlink channel that carries paging messages. The Common Control Channel (CCCH) is a channel for transmitting control information between the UE and the network. This channel may be used for UEs that do not have an RRC connection with the network. Dedicated A Control Channel (DCCH) is a point-to-point bidirectional channel that transmits dedicated control information between the UE and the network and may be used by UEs that have an RRC connection. A Traffic Channel may be used exclusively for the transfer of user plane information. A Dedicated Traffic Channel (DTCH) is a point-to-point channel dedicated to one UE for the transfer of user information. A DTCH may exist in both the uplink and downlink.

[0063] Downlink transport channel types include the Broadcast Channel (BCH), Downlink Shared Channel (DL-SCH), and Paging Channel (PCH). The BCH can feature a fixed, predefined transport format. It needs to be broadcast throughout the cell's coverage area either as a single message or by beamforming different BCH instances. The DL-SCH can be characterized by support for HARQ, support for dynamic link adaptation by varying modulation, coding, and transmit power, the possibility of being broadcast throughout the cell, the possibility of using beamforming, support for both dynamic and semi-static resource allocation, and support for UE discontinuous reception (DRX) to enable UE power savings. The DL-SCH can be characterized by support for HARQ, support for dynamic link adaptation by varying modulation, coding, and transmit power, the possibility of being broadcast throughout the cell, the possibility of using beamforming, support for both dynamic and semi-static resource allocation, and support for UE discontinuous reception (DRX) to enable UE power savings. The PCH may be characterized by support for UE discontinuous reception (DRX) to enable UE power saving (DRX cycle indicated to the UE by the network), a requirement to be broadcast throughout the coverage area of ​​a cell either as a single message or by beamforming different PCH instances, as well as being mapped to physical resources that can also be dynamically used for traffic / other control channels.

[0064] In the downlink, the following connections may exist between logical channels and transport channels: BCCH may be mapped to BCH. BCCH may be mapped to DL-SCH. PCCH may be mapped to PCH. CCCH may be mapped to DL-SCH. DCCH may be mapped to DL-SCH. DTCH may be mapped to DL-SCH.

[0065] Uplink transport channel types include the Uplink Shared Channel (UL-SCH) and the Random Access Channel (RACH). The UL-SCH may be characterized by the possibility of using beamforming, support for dynamic link adaptation by varying transmit power and potential modulation and coding, support for HARQ, and support for both dynamic and quasi-static resource allocation. The RACH may be characterized by limited control information and collision risk.

[0066] In the uplink, the following connections may exist between logical channels and transport channels: CCCH may be mapped to UL-SCH, DCCH may be mapped to UL-SCH, and DTCH may be mapped to UL-SCH.

[0067] 4A and 4B illustrate examples of mapping between transport channels and physical channels in the downlink and uplink, respectively, in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The physical channels in the downlink include a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), and a Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH). The PCH and DL-SCH transport channels are mapped to the PDSCH. The BCH transport channel is mapped to the P No transport channel is mapped to the PDCCH, and downlink control information (DCI) is transmitted via the PDCCH.

[0068] Physical channels in the uplink include the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), the Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), and the Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH). The UL-SCH transport channel may be mapped to the PUSCH, and the RACH transport channel may be mapped to the PRACH. No transport channel is mapped to the PUCCH, and uplink control information (UCI) is transmitted via the PUCCH.

[0069] 5A and 5B illustrate example mappings between logical, transport, and physical channels in the downlink and uplink, respectively, in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. DL logical, transport, and physical channels are mapped by the base station (e.g., gNB 115A, ng-eNB 115B) as previously described in FIGS. 3 and 4. A 120) to the UEs (e.g., UE 125A, UE 125C). The UL logical, transport, and physical channels transmit data and control information from the UEs (e.g., UE 125A, UE 125C) to the base station (e.g., gNB 115A, ng-eNB A 120), as described above in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4.

[0070] As shown in Figure 5A, the logical channels BCCH, CCH, DCCH, and DTCH may be mapped to the transport channel DL-SCH, which may be mapped to the PDSCH. The logical channel BCCH may also be mapped to the transport channel BCH, which may be mapped to the physical channel PBCH. The logical channel PCCH may be mapped to the transport channel PCH, which may be mapped to the physical channel PDSCH.

[0071] Downlink control information (DCI) may be mapped to the physical channel PDCCH. DCI may include scheduling information for UL or DL ​​data and other control information for a UE or a group of UEs. A DCI message may include UE details such as the number of resource blocks, resource allocation type, modulation scheme, transport block, redundancy version, coding rate, HARQ feedback, and transmit power control. DCI message bits may be coded by a forward error correction (FEC) coding scheme (e.g., convolutional) and may be appended with a cyclic redundancy check (CRC). The CRC allows the UE to detect the presence of errors in the coded DCI message bits. After the CRC is appended, the CRC bits may be scrambled by a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI). The RNTI can enable the UE to detect DCI for its unicast data and distinguish between sets of DCIs with different purposes that have the same payload size.

[0072] In addition to the DCI, a slot format indicator (SFI) can also be mapped to the physical channel PDCCH. The PDCCH informs the UE how each symbol in a single slot is used. For example, it can define which symbols in a frame are used for uplink and which symbols are used for DL.

[0073] As shown in Figure 5B, the logical channels CCCH, DCC, and DTCH may be mapped to the transport channel UL-SCH, which may be mapped to the physical channel PUSCH. The transport channel RACH may be mapped to the physical channel PRACH. As shown, in the uplink, DCI may be mapped to the physical channels PUCCH and / or PUSCH. good.

[0074] FIG. 6 illustrates exemplary physical signals in the downlink and uplink in accordance with some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. Demodulation reference signals (DM-RSs) may be used in the downlink and uplink and may be used for channel estimation. DM-RSs are UE-specific reference signals that may be transmitted along with physical channels in the downlink or uplink and may be used for channel estimation and coherent detection of the physical channels. Phase tracking reference signals (PT-RSs) may be used in the downlink or uplink and may be used to track phase and mitigate performance loss due to phase noise. PT-RSs may be primarily used to estimate and minimize the impact of common phase error (CPE) on system performance. Due to phase noise characteristics, PT-RS signals may have low density in the frequency domain and high density in the time domain. PT-RSs may occur when configured with DM-RSs in a network. Positioning reference signals (PRSs) may be used in the downlink for positioning using different positioning techniques. The PRS may be used to measure downlink transmission delays by correlating the received signal from the base station with a local replica in the receiver. In the downlink, a channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) may be used. CSI-RS may be used for, among other things, channel state estimation, reference signal received power (RSRP) measurements for mobility and beam management, and time / frequency tracking for demodulation. While CSI-RS may be configured UE-specific, multiple users may share the same CSI-RS resource. The UE can determine CSI reports and transmit them to the base station in the uplink using the PUCCH or PUSCH. The primary synchronization signal (PSS) and secondary synchronization signal (SSS) may be used for radio frame synchronization. The PSS and SSS may be used for cell search procedures during initial attach or for mobility purposes. The sounding reference signal (SRS) may be used in the uplink for uplink channel estimation.Similar to the CSI-RS, the SRS can serve as a QCL reference for other physical channels, such as may be configured to be transmitted quasi-colocated with the SRS.

[0075] 7 illustrates examples of radio resource control (RRC) states and transitions between different RRC states in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. A UE can be in one of three RRC states: an RRC connected state 710, an RRC idle state 720, and an RRC inactive state 730. After power-on, the UE may be in the RRC idle state 720, and the UE may use initial access to establish a connection with the network via an RRC connection establishment procedure to perform data transfer and / or conduct a voice call. Once the RRC connection is established, the UE may enter the RRC connected state 710. The UE can transition from the RRC idle state 720 to the RRC connected state 710 or from the RRC connected state 710 to the RRC idle state 720 using an RRC connection establishment / release procedure 740.

[0076] The RRC inactive state 730 may be used to reduce signaling load and latency resulting from frequent transitions from the RRC connected state 710 to the RRC idle state 720 when the UE transmits frequent small data. In the RRC inactive state 730, the AS context may be stored by both the UE and the gNB. This may result in a faster state transition from the RRC inactive state 730 to the RRC connected state 710. The UE may transition from the RRC inactive state 730 to the RRC connected state 710 or from the RRC connected state 710 to the RRC inactive state 730 using an RRC connection resume / deactivation procedure 760. The UE may transition from the RRC inactive state 730 to the RRC idle state 720 using an RRC connection release procedure 750.

[0077] FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary frame structure in accordance with some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The structure and physical resources are shown in Figure 8. Downlink or uplink transmissions may be organized into frames with a 10-ms duration consisting of ten 1-ms subframes. Each subframe may consist of 1, 2, 4, ... slots, and the number of slots per subframe may depend on the subcarrier spacing of the carrier on which the transmission occurs. Slot durations may be 14 symbols with a normal cyclic prefix (CP) or 12 symbols with an extended CP. Subframes may be scaled in time depending on the subcarrier spacing used so that there are an integer number of slots in a subframe. Figure 8 shows a resource grid in the time and frequency domains. Each element of the resource grid, containing one symbol in time and one subcarrier in frequency, is called a resource element (RE). A resource block (RB) may be defined as 12 consecutive subcarriers in the frequency domain.

[0078] In some examples, with non-slot-based scheduling, packet transmission may occur over a portion of a slot, e.g., 2, 4, or 7 OFDM symbols, which may be referred to as a minislot. Minislots may be used for low-latency applications such as URLLC and operation in unlicensed bands. In some embodiments, minislots may also be used for fast flexible scheduling of services (e.g., preemption of URLLC for eMBB).

[0079] FIG. 9 illustrates example component carrier configurations in different carrier aggregation scenarios according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. In carrier aggregation (CA), two or more component carriers (CCs) may be aggregated. A UE can simultaneously receive or transmit on one or more CCs depending on its capabilities. CA may be supported for both contiguous and non-contiguous CCs in the same band or different bands, as illustrated in FIG. 9. The gNB and UE can communicate using a serving cell. The serving cell may be associated with at least one downlink CC (e.g., associated with only one downlink CC or associated with a downlink CC and an uplink CC). The serving cell may be a primary cell (PCell) or a secondary cell (SCell).

[0080] The UE can adjust the timing of its uplink transmission using an uplink timing control procedure. It can use a timing advance (TA) to adjust the uplink frame timing relative to the downlink frame timing. The gNB can determine the desired timing advance setting and provide it to the UE. The UE can use the provided TA to determine its uplink transmit timing relative to the UE's observed downlink receive timing.

[0081] In the RRC connected state, the gNB may be responsible for maintaining the timing advance to keep L1 synchronized. Serving cells with uplinks to which the same timing advance applies and that use the same timing reference cell are grouped into a timing advance group (TAG). A TAG may contain at least one serving cell with a configured uplink. The mapping of serving cells to TAGs may be configured by RRC. For a primary TAG, the UE may use the PCell as the timing reference cell, except for shared spectrum channel access, where an SCell may also be used as the timing reference cell in some cases. For a secondary TAG, the UE may use any of the activated SCells of this TAG as the timing reference cell and may not need to change it unless necessary.

[0082] Timing advance updates are sent by the gNB to the UE via MAC CE commands. Such a command may restart a TAG-specific timer that may indicate whether L1 can be synchronized or not; when the timer is running, L1 may be considered synchronized; otherwise, L1 may be considered unsynchronized (in which case uplink transmissions may only occur on the PRACH).

[0083] A UE with single timing advance capability for CA can simultaneously receive and / or transmit on multiple CCs corresponding to multiple serving cells (multiple serving cells grouped into one TAG) that share the same timing advance. A UE with multiple timing advance capability for CA can simultaneously receive and / or transmit on multiple CCs corresponding to multiple serving cells (multiple serving cells grouped into multiple TAGs) with different timing advances. NG-RAN may ensure that each TAG contains at least one serving cell. A non-CA-capable UE may receive on a single CC and transmit on a single CC corresponding to only one serving cell (one serving cell in one TAG).

[0084] The multi-carrier characteristics of the physical layer in case of CA may be exposed to the MAC layer, and one HARQ entity may be required per serving cell. When CA is configured, the UE may have one RRC connection with the network. In RRC connection establishment / re-establishment / handover, one serving cell (e.g., PCell) may provide NAS mobility information. Depending on the UE capabilities, the SCell may be configured to form a set of serving cells together with the PCell. The set of serving cells configured for the UE may consist of one PCell and one or more SCells. Reconfiguration, addition, and deletion of SCells may be performed by RRC.

[0085] In a dual connectivity scenario, a UE may be configured with multiple cells including a Master Cell Group (MCG) for communicating with a master base station, a Secondary Cell Group (SCG) for communicating with a secondary base station, and two MAC entities, one for the MCG for communicating with the master base station and one for the SCG for communicating with the secondary base station.

[0086] FIG. 10 illustrates exemplary bandwidth portion configuration and switching according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. A UE may be configured with one or more bandwidth portions (BWPs) 1010 in a given component carrier. In some examples, one of the one or more bandwidth portions may be active at a time. The active bandwidth portion may define the UE's operating bandwidth within the cell's operating bandwidth. For initial access, an initial bandwidth portion 1020 determined from system information may be used until the UE's configuration within the cell is received. For example, in bandwidth adaptation (BA) via BWP switching 1040, the UE's reception and transmission bandwidths may not be as large as the cell's bandwidth and may be adjusted. For example, the width may be commanded to change (e.g., shrink during periods of low activity to save power), the location may move in the frequency domain (e.g., to increase scheduling flexibility), and the subcarrier spacing may be commanded to change (e.g., to enable different services). The first active BWP 1020 may be the active BWP upon RRC (re)configuration of the PCell or activation of the SCell.

[0087] For a downlink BWP or an uplink BWP in the set of downlink or uplink BWPs, respectively, the UE shall have the following configuration parameters: subcarrier spacing (SCS), cyclic prefix, common RBs and number of consecutive RBs, index within the set of downlink or uplink BWPs by their respective BWP-Id, set of BWP common parameters and BWP-specific parameters. A set of downlink BWPs may be provided. The BWPs may be associated with OFDM numerology according to the subcarrier spacing and cyclic prefix configured for the BWP. For the serving cell, the UE may be provided with a default downlink BWP among the configured downlink BWPs. If the UE is not provided with a default downlink BWP, the default downlink BWP may be the initial downlink BWP.

[0088] A downlink BWP may be associated with a BWP inactivity timer. If the BWP inactivity timer associated with an active downlink BWP expires and a default downlink BWP is configured, the UE may perform a BWP switch to the default BWP. If the BWP inactivity timer associated with an active downlink BWP expires and a default downlink BWP is not configured, the UE may perform a BWP switch to the initial downlink BWP.

[0089] FIG. 11 illustrates an example of a mobile communication system 1100 according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The mobile communication system 1100 may correspond to a portion of a network. The mobile communication system 1100 may operate over an unlicensed band. The gNB 1103 and UEs 1105A, 1105B may use a listen-before-talk (LBT) scheme before transmitting over a shared communication channel. The LBT scheme can reduce interference and reduce the collision probability between the gNB 1103 and UEs 1105A-B, or any other devices seeking a shared communication channel. In the mobile communication system 1100, the gNB 1103 and UEs 1105A-B may have different interference profiles and require different LBT mechanisms. For example, the gNB 1103 may use an LBT mechanism based on carrier sense, preamble detection, or correlation, and the UE 1105 may use an LBT mechanism based on energy detection, or vice versa. Furthermore, the gNB 1103 and the UEs 1105A-B can operate based on a frame-based equipment (FBE) or load-based equipment (LBE) LBT scheme. In the FBE scheme, channel sensing is performed at regular intervals, while in the LBE scheme, channel sensing is performed at any time and duration.

[0090] As shown, UEs 1105A-1105B communicate with the gNB 1103 on the uplink via subbands 1108, including subbands 1108a-1108h. In some aspects, each of the subbands 1108 may include several BWPs. In some aspects, each BWP may span different subbands. The UE 1105 may perform an LBT mechanism before accessing the shared channel to determine free subbands. In some scenarios, the UE 1105 may be in an RRC idle state and may perform an LBT to determine available subbands for initial connection. In some other scenarios, the UE 1105 may be in an RRC connected state and may perform an LBT to determine available subbands for switching to a new subband. In some aspects, the subbands 1108 may belong to the same CC. In some other aspects, the subbands 1108 may belong to different CCs.

[0091] One challenge of the multi-band mobile communication system 1100 is that a UE may need to try all subbands or BPWs before deciding on a subband or BPW to switch to. A UE (e.g., UE 1105A, 1105B) may have limited power, and trying all configured BWPs may be inefficient and may increase power consumption and delay in switching between different subbands. Furthermore, in some cases, trying different subbands may not be worthwhile. The number of LBT attempts for a UE may have a trade-off between reliability and power consumption and efficiency due to the limited number of attempts. For example, the gNB 1103 may determine the available subbands. Alternatively, the gNB 1103 may transmit available subbands to the UE 1105 via control signaling. In some aspects, the gNB 1103 may perform an LBT mechanism to determine available subbands and transmit an identifier indicating the subbands to the UE 1105. In some other aspects, the gNB may measure key performance indicators (KPIs) (e.g., throughput, latency, packet loss, etc.) to determine available subbands based on the KPIs and transmit an identifier indicating the subbands to the UE 1105. The KPIs may be used to appropriately measure whether a service (e.g., BWP, subband, etc.) requested by the UE 1105 can be accessed under given conditions.

[0092] In some scenarios, the UE 1105A may be in an RRC connected mode communicating with a gNB via subbands 1108a, 1108b, but may want to switch to a new subband (e.g., due to server interference in subbands 1108a, 1108b). In some other scenarios, the UE 1105A may be in an RRC idle state attempting to connect to the gNB 1103. The gNB 1105 may indicate available subbands 1108c, 1108e, 1108f to the UE 1105A via common or dedicated signaling. Upon receiving the available subbands from the gNB 1103, the UE 1105A may perform an LBT and connect to the gNB 1103 via one or more of the available subbands 1108c, 1108e, 1108f.

[0093] FIG. 12A illustrates an example of a UL frequency band allocation scheme according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. In this scheme, each subband 1203 may include several BWPs. The subband 1203 may include BWP 1205a, which is a currently active BWP for a UE (e.g., UE 1105A). The BWP 1205a may include RACH resources 1208a. The RACH resources may include time resources (e.g., slots and symbols) and frequency resources that the UE can use to transmit a PRACH. A gNB (e.g., gNB 1103) may transmit the RACH resources to the UE. The gNB may determine available subbands 1203b and 1203c and indicate these available subbands to the UE. The UE may perform LBT on subbands 1203b-1203c and switch to BWP 1205b or 1205c. After switching to the new BPW, the UE may perform RACH processing in RACH resources 1208b and 1208c located in subbands 1203b and 1203c, respectively.

[0094] FIG. 12B illustrates an example of a UL frequency band allocation scheme according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. In this scheme, each subband 1253 may include several BWPs. The subband 1253 may include BWP 1255a, which is a currently active BWP for a UE (e.g., UE 1105A). The BWP 1255a may include RACH resources 1258a. The RACH resources may include time resources (e.g., slots and symbols) and frequency resources that the UE can use to transmit a PRACH. A gNB (e.g., gNB 1103) may transmit the RACH resources to the UE. The gNB may determine available subbands 1253b and 1253c and indicate these available subbands to the UE. The UE may perform LBT on subbands 1253b-1253c and switch to BWP 1255b or 1255c. As shown, in some scenarios, the new BWP 1255b to which the UE wants to switch may span frequency bands (subbands) 1253a and 1253b, while the RACH resources 1258b may be located in frequency band (subband) 1253b. After switching to the new BWP, the UE may perform RACH processing in the RACH resources 1258b located in the subbands 1253b.

[0095] FIG. 13 is a signaling diagram of an example method 1300 for a four-step contention-based random access process in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The method 1300 is implemented between a gNB 1103 and a UE 1105 (e.g., 1105A, 1105B). As previously described, while described in the example context of a 5G NR-based network, it will be understood that the method 1300 is in no way limited. As shown, the method 1300 may include several enumerated steps, although embodiments of the method 1300 may include additional steps before, after, or / and between steps. In some embodiments, one or more of the enumerated steps may be omitted.

[0096] In step 1302, the gNB 1103 determines available subbands for transmission of information on the UL from the UE. In some aspects, the gNB may perform an LBT on each of the subbands and determine the subbands on which the LBT passes. For example, the gNB may listen to the UL channel and measure interference levels in each UL subband. In some other aspects, the gNB may measure KPIs to determine the available subbands. For example, the gNB may measure throughput, latency, and / or packet loss in each UL subband to determine the available UL subbands.

[0097] In step 1309, the gNB transmits the determined subbands from step 1306 to the UE. The gNB may indicate each subband with an identification (ID) and transmit the ID to the UE. The gNB may transmit the subband ID via control signaling. In some aspects, the gNB may transmit the subband ID via a Master Information Block (MIB) or a System Information Block (SIB1). In some aspects, the gNB may transmit the subband ID to a group of UEs via common RRC signaling. In some aspects, the gNB may transmit the subband ID to a specific UE via dedicated RRC signaling. In some other aspects, the gNB may transmit the ID to a group of UEs or a specific UE via downlink control information (DCI).

[0098] In step 1312, the UE performs LBT on the subbands indicated by the gNB and determines the subbands on which the LBT passes. For example, the UE may listen to each of the indicated subbands and measure the interference level in each of the subbands.

[0099] In step 1315, the UE determines a BWP based on the results of the LBT from step 1312. The determined BWP may have RACH resources in one of the subbands over which the UE LBT passes. In some aspects, the determined BWP may span only one subband. In some aspects, the determined BWP may span two or more subbands.

[0100] In step 1317, the UE transmits a random access preamble to the gNB at the determined BWP. The random access preamble may be generated based on the determined BWP.

[0101] In step 1320, upon detecting the random access preamble, the gNB transmits a random access response, which may include information such as timing advance, UL grant, and RACH power control.

[0102] In step 1323, the UE performs a scan based on the received random access response request. Sends scheduled transmission requests.

[0103] Finally, in step 1326, the gNB sends a contention resolution request to the UE. The contention resolution request may include information for establishing communication between the gNB and the UE.

[0104] In step 1329, the UE switches to the new BWP and starts transmitting data to the gNB in ​​the new BWP.

[0105] FIG. 14 is a signaling diagram of an exemplary method 1400 for a two-stage contention-based random access process in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The method 1300 is performed between a gNB 1103 and a UE 1105 (e.g., 1105A, 1105B). As previously described, while described in the exemplary context of a 5G NR-based network, it will be understood that the method 1300 is in no way limited. As shown, the method 1400 may include several enumerated steps, although embodiments of the method 1400 may include additional steps before, after, or / and between steps. In some embodiments, one or more of the enumerated steps may be omitted.

[0106] In step 1402, the gNB 1103 determines available subbands for transmission of information on the UL from the UE. In some aspects, the gNB may perform an LBT on each of the subbands and determine the subbands on which the LBT passes. For example, the gNB may listen to the UL channel and measure an interference level in each UL subband. In some other aspects, the gNB may measure KPIs to determine the available subbands. For example, the gNB may measure throughput, latency, and / or packet loss in each UL subband to determine the available UL subbands.

[0107] In step 1407, the gNB transmits the determined subbands from step 1402 to the UE. The gNB may indicate each subband with an identification (ID) and transmit the ID to the UE. The gNB may transmit the subband ID via control signaling. In some aspects, the gNB may transmit the subband ID via a Master Information Block (MIB) or a System Information Block (SIB1). In some aspects, the gNB may transmit the subband ID to a group of UEs via common RRC signaling. In some aspects, the gNB may transmit the subband ID to a specific UE via dedicated RRC signaling. In some other aspects, the gNB may transmit the ID to a group of UEs or a specific UE via downlink control information (DCI).

[0108] In step 1410, the UE performs LBT on the subbands indicated by the gNB and determines the subbands on which the LBT passes. For example, the UE may listen to each of the indicated subbands and measure the interference level in each of the subbands.

[0109] In step 1413, the UE determines a BWP based on the results of the LBT from step 1412. The determined BWP may have RACH resources in one of the subbands over which the UE LBT passes. In some aspects, the determined BWP may span only one subband. In some aspects, the determined BWP may span two or more subbands.

[0110] In step 1416, the UE transmits a random access preamble to the gNB at the determined BWP. The random access preamble is In addition, step 1416 includes transmitting a connection request by the UE.

[0111] In step 1419, upon detecting the random access preamble, the gNB transmits a random access response and a contention resolution request. The random access response may include information such as timing advance, UL grant, RACH power control, etc. The contention resolution request may include information for establishing communication between the gNB and the UE.

[0112] In step 1422, the UE switches to the new BWP and starts transmitting data to the gNB in ​​the new BWP.

[0113] The random access procedure can be triggered by several events, e.g., initial access from RRC idle state, RRC connection re-establishment procedure, downlink or uplink data arrival during RRC connected state when the uplink synchronization state is "unsynchronized", uplink data arrival during RRC connected state when there are no PUCCH resources available for a Scheduling Request (SR), SR failure, a request by RRC during synchronization reconfiguration (e.g., handover), transition from RRC inactive state, establishing time alignment of secondary TAGs, other system information (SI) requests, Beam Failure Recovery (BFR), consistent uplink Listen Before Talk (LBT) failure on the PCell.

[0114] Two types of random access (RA) procedures can be supported: a four-step RA type with MSG1 and a two-step RA type with MSGA. Both types of RA procedures can support contention-based random access (CBRA) and contention-free random access (CFRA).

[0115] The UE can select the type of random access at the start of the random access procedure based on the network configuration. If CFRA resources are not configured, the RSRP threshold can be used by the UE to select between the 2-step RA type and the 4-step RA type. If CFRA resources for the 4-step RA type are configured, the UE can perform random access using the 4-step RA type. If CFRA resources for the 2-step RA type are configured, the UE can perform random access using the 2-step RA type.

[0116] MSG1 for the 4-step RA type may consist of a preamble on the PRACH. After MSG1 transmission, the UE may monitor for a response from the network within a configured window. For CFRA, a dedicated preamble for MSG1 transmission is allocated by the network, and upon receiving a random access response (RAR) from the network, the UE may terminate the random access procedure as shown in FIG. 11. For CBRA, upon receiving the random access response, the UE may transmit MSG3 using the uplink grant scheduled in the random access response and monitor contention resolution as shown in FIG. 11. If contention resolution is not successful after MSG3 (re)transmission, the UE may return to MSG1 transmission.

[0117] The MSGA of the two-step RA type may include a preamble in the PRACH and a payload in the PUSCH. After the MSGA transmission, the UE may monitor for a response from the network within a configured window. In the case of CFRA, dedicated preamble and PUSCH resources may be configured for the MSGA transmission, and upon receiving a network response, the UE may terminate the random access procedure. In the case of CBRA, if contention resolution is successful upon receiving a network response, the UE may terminate the random access procedure; while, if a fallback indication is received in MSGB, the UE may perform MSG3 transmission using the uplink grant scheduled in the fallback indication. and can monitor contention resolution. If contention resolution is not successful after MSG3 (re)transmission, the UE can revert to MSGA transmission.

[0118] FIG. 15 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a MIB message according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, a MIB message is generated and broadcast to a group of UEs. The MIB message may be transmitted over the BCH transport and PBCH physical channels and may include information necessary to decode System Information Block Type 1 (SIB1), more specifically, information necessary to monitor the PDCCH for scheduling the PDSCH carrying SIB1. Additionally, the MIB may indicate cell barring status information. The MIB and SIB1 may be collectively referred to as Minimum System Information (SI). SIB1 may also be referred to as Minimum Residual System Information (RMSI). In some aspects, the MIB message may be repeated periodically. In one exemplary implementation, the MIB periodicity may be 80 ms and may be transmitted on symbols 1, 2, and 3 in a time frame similar to that of FIG. 8. As shown, associated information element (IE) 1500 includes "bwp_list" 1505, which is configured as a list of integers {ID1, ID2, ..., IDN}, where IDi, i=1,...,N is an integer indicating subband i. Also, in the illustrated embodiment, it should be noted that "bwp_list" may indicate subbands available for the UL (e.g., gNB 1103), as previously described in Figures 11, 12A, and 12B. In some aspects, "bwp_list" may indicate a list of UL subbands that the UE may avoid using. For example, a gNB may have high interference power and may transmit a list of subbands to avoid to the UE.

[0119] FIG. 16 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a ServingCellConfigCommon message in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, a ServingCellConfigCommon message is generated and broadcast to a group of UEs. The ServingCellConfigCommon message may be transmitted over the BCH transport and PBCH physical channels and may be used to configure cell-specific parameters of the UE's serving cell. The ServingCellConfigCommon may include parameters that the UE normally obtains from an SSB, MIB, or SIB when the UE is in RRC idle state. In some aspects, the network may provide the associated IE ServingCellConfigCommon in dedicated signaling with the SCell or additional cell group (SGC). In some aspects, the network may provide the associated IE for the Spcell (MCG and SGC) during configuration with sync. As shown, the associated IE 1600 includes a "bwp_list" 1609, where "bwp_list" is configured as a list of integers {ID1, ID2, ..., ID3}, where IDi, i=1,...,N is an integer indicating subband i. Also, in the illustrated embodiment, it should be noted that "bwp_list" may indicate subbands available for the UL (e.g., gNB 1103), as previously described in Figures 11, 12A, and 12B. In some aspects, "bwp_list" may indicate a list of UL subbands that the UE may avoid using. For example, a gNB may have high interference power and may transmit a list of subbands to avoid to the UE.

[0120] 17 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a BWP uplink message in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the BWP-uplink message includes a BWP-uplink common portion and a BWP-uplink dedicated portion. A BWP-uplink common portion is generated and broadcast to a group of UEs, and a BWP-uplink dedicated portion is generated and broadcast to a specific UE. The BWP-uplink common portion may include common parameters necessary to configure cell bandwidth. , may be transmitted via system information. BWP-UplinkDedicated may contain parameters necessary to configure a specific UE bandwidth and may be transmitted via dedicated RRC signaling.

[0121] As shown, the associated IE 1700 includes a "BWP_Subbandlist" 1709, where "BWP_Subbandlist" is configured as a list of integers {ID1, ID2, ..., ID3}, where IDi, i=1,...,N is an integer indicating subband i. Also, in the illustrated embodiment, it should be noted that "BWP_Subbandlist" can indicate subbands available for the UL (e.g., gNB 1103), as previously described in Figures 11, 12A, and 12B. In some aspects, "BWP-Subbandlist" indicates a list of subbands available for a group of UEs and may be assigned to BWP_UplinkCommon. In some aspects, "BWP-Subbandlist" indicates a list of subbands available for a particular UE and may be assigned to BWP_UplinkDedicated. In some aspects, "BWP_Subbandlist" can indicate a list of UL subbands that the UE can avoid using. For example, a gNB may have high interference power and may transmit a list of subbands to avoid to the UE.

[0122] FIG. 18 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary UE 1800 in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. All or a subset of the blocks and functions in FIG. 18 may reside within the UE 1800 or may be performed by the user equipment 1800. The antenna 1810 may be used to transmit and receive electromagnetic signals. The antenna 1810 may include one or more antenna elements and may enable different input / output antenna configurations, including a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) configuration, a multiple-input single-output (MISO) configuration, and a single-input multiple-output (SIMO) configuration. In some embodiments, the antenna 1810 may enable a massive MIMO configuration with tens or hundreds of antenna elements. The antenna 1810 may enable other multi-antenna techniques, such as beamforming. In some examples, depending on the capabilities of the UE 1800 or the type of the UE 1800 (e.g., a low-complexity UE), the UE 1800 may support only a single antenna.

[0123] The transceiver 1820 can communicate bidirectionally over the wireless links described herein via the antenna(s) 1810. For example, the transceiver 1820 may represent a wireless transceiver in a UE and may communicate bidirectionally with a wireless transceiver in a base station, or vice versa. The transceiver 1820 may include a modem for modulating packets, providing the modulated packets to the antenna(s) 1810 for transmission, and demodulating packets received from the antenna(s) 1810.

[0124] The memory 1830 may include RAM and ROM. The memory 1830 may store computer-readable computer-executable code 1835 including instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform various functions described herein. In some examples, the memory 1830 may include a basic input / output system (BIOS) that may control basic hardware or software operations, such as interaction with peripheral components or devices, among other things.

[0125] The processor 1840 may include a hardware device having processing capabilities (e.g., a general-purpose processor, a DSP, a CPU, a microcontroller, an ASIC, an FPGA, a programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic component, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof). In some examples, the processor 1840 may be configured to operate a memory using a memory controller. In other examples, the memory controller may control the processor. The processor 1840 may be integrated into the UE 1800. The processor 1840 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory (e.g., the memory 1830) to cause the UE 1800 to perform various functions.

[0126] The central processing unit (CPU) 1850 can perform basic arithmetic, logic, control, and input / output (I / O) operations specified by computer instructions in the memory 1830. The UE 1800 may include additional peripheral components, such as a graphics processing unit (GPU) 1860 and a global positioning system (GPS) 1870. The GPU 1860 is dedicated circuitry for rapid manipulation and modification of the memory 1830 to accelerate processing performance of the user equipment 1800. The GPS 1870 can be used to enable location-based services or other services, for example, based on the geographic location of the user equipment 1800.

[0127] The BWP module 1880 may be implemented via hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, the BWP module 1880 may be implemented as instruction code stored in the memory 1830 and executed by the processor 1840, or as a circuit. The BWP module 1880 may be used to perform various aspects and functions related to the present disclosure. For example, the BWP module 1880 is configured to receive a subband ID from a base station (e.g., gNB 1103), perform an LBT for each subband received from the base station, determine which subbands pass the LBT, perform a RACH process (e.g., four-step RACH 1400, two-step RACH 1500), switch to a new BWP, and transmit data and control signaling to the base station as previously described in more detail.

[0128] FIG. 19 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary base station 1900 according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. All or a subset of the blocks and functions in FIG. 19 may reside within the UE 1800 or may be performed by the base station 1900. The antenna 1910 may be used to transmit and receive electromagnetic signals. The antenna 1910 may include one or more antenna elements and may enable different input / output antenna configurations, including a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) configuration, a multiple-input single-output (MISO) configuration, and a single-input multiple-output (SIMO) configuration. In some embodiments, the antenna 1910 may enable a massive MIMO configuration with tens or hundreds of antenna elements. The antenna 1910 may enable other multi-antenna techniques, such as beamforming. In some examples, depending on the capabilities of the UE 1900 or the type of the UE 1900 (e.g., a low-complexity UE), the UE 1900 may support only a single antenna.

[0129] The transceiver 1920 can communicate bidirectionally over the wireless links described herein via the antenna 1810. For example, the transceiver 1820 may represent a wireless transceiver in a UE and may communicate bidirectionally with a wireless transceiver in a base station, or vice versa. The transceiver 1920 may include a modem for modulating packets, providing the modulated packets to the antenna 1910 for transmission, and demodulating packets received from the antenna 1910.

[0130] The memory 1930 may include RAM and ROM. The memory 1930 may store computer-readable computer-executable code 1935 including instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to perform various functions described herein. In some examples, the memory 1930 may include a basic input / output system (BIOS) that may control basic hardware or software operations, such as interaction with peripheral components or devices, among other things.

[0131] The processor 1940 may include a hardware device having processing capabilities (e.g., a general-purpose processor, a DSP, a CPU, a microcontroller, an ASIC, an FPGA, a programmable logic device, a discrete gate or transistor logic component, a discrete hardware component, or any combination thereof). In some examples, the processor 1940 may be configured to operate a memory using a memory controller. In other examples, the memory controller may be integrated into the processor 1940. The processor 1940 may be configured to execute computer-readable instructions stored in a memory (e.g., the memory 1830) to cause the base station 1900 to perform various functions.

[0132] The central processing unit (CPU) 1950 can perform basic arithmetic, logic, control, and input / output (I / O) operations specified by computer instructions in the memory 1830. The base station 1900 can include additional peripheral components such as a graphics processing unit (GPU) 1960 and a global positioning system (GPS) 1970. The GPU 1960 is dedicated circuitry for rapid manipulation and modification of the memory 1930 to accelerate the processing performance of the base station 1900.

[0133] The BWP module 1980 may be implemented via hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, the BWP module 1980 may be implemented as instruction code stored in the memory 1930 and executed by the processor 1940, or as a circuit. The BWP module 1980 may be used to perform various aspects and functions related to the present disclosure. For example, the BWP module 1980 is configured to determine available subbands (e.g., based on a KPI or LBT), send a list of subband IDs to a particular UE or group of UEs (e.g., the UE 1105), send a RACH response (e.g., a four-step RACH 1400, a two-step RACH 1500), and receive BWP information from the UE, as previously described in more detail.

[0134] 20 illustrates a structure of an exemplary downlink control information (DCI) message 2000 in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The DCI message 2000 may be used by a gNB to transmit a list of subband IDs to a UE or group. As shown, the DCI message 2000 may include:

[0135] (i) DCI identifier 2001 indicating DCI format 2-7

[0136] (ii) Subband ID list {ID1,...,IDN} 2003a~2003n

[0137] DCI format 2_7 may be configured for a group-common PDCCH or a UE-specific PDCCH. In some examples, if the UE does not receive DCI format 2_7 via the group-common PDCCH, the UE may receive DCI format 2_7 via a UE-specific PDCCH in the slot. The gNB may notify the UE via RRC signaling whether to decode the group-common PDCCH or the UE-specific PDCCH. In some examples where the group-common PDCCH is transmitted, the UE may decide whether to decode the common group PDCCH. Furthermore, when the UE monitors the common group PDCCH, the UE may process the detected UE-specific PDCCH regardless of whether the group-common PDCCH is received.

[0138] The UE receives information about common and UE-specific search spaces for group-common or UE-specific PDCCHs via the IE search space. The search space configured from the network defines how / where to search for PDCCH candidates. In some embodiments, the UE is configured to receive DCI format 2_7, and the IE search space is as follows: It may include a "dci format 2-7" indicator to indicate to the UE to monitor PDCCH candidate format 2_7 as follows:

[0139] 21 illustrates a structure of an exemplary downlink control information (DCI) message 2100 in accordance with certain aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The DCI message 2100 may be used by a gNB to transmit a list of subband IDs to a UE or a group of UEs. In some examples, the DCI format 0_0 / 0_1 scrambled by the RNTT. As shown, the DCI message 2100 may include: IE search space { ... dci format 2-7 ... } (i) DCI identifier indicating DCI format 0_0 / 0_0 (ii) The DCI field 2103 contains information for scheduling the PUSCH in a cell. (ii) Subband ID list {ID1,...,IDN} 2105a to 2105n.

[0140] DCI format 0_0 / 0_1 may be configured for a group-common PDCCH or a UE-specific PDCCH. In some examples, if the UE does not receive DCI format 0_0 / 0_1 via the group-common PDCCH, the UE may receive DCI format 0_0 / 0_1 via a UE-specific PDCCH in the slot. The gNB may notify the UE via RRC signaling whether to decode the group-common PDCCH or the UE-specific PDCCH. In some examples where the group-common PDCCH is transmitted, the UE may decide whether to decode the common group PDCCH. Furthermore, when the UE is monitoring the common group PDCCH, the UE may process the detected UE-specific PDCCH regardless of whether the group-common PDCCH is received.

[0141] 22 is a flow diagram of a BWP switching mechanism according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The method 2200 will be described with reference to one of the gNBs 1103 and 1900 shown in FIGS. 11 and 18, respectively.

[0142] In step 2203, the gNB determines a subset of subbands available for UL communication. In some aspects, the gNB may measure KPIs (e.g., throughput, packet loss, latency, etc.) to determine the available subbands. In some other aspects, the gNB may perform an LBT mechanism to determine the available subbands.

[0143] In step 2206, the gNB transmits a configuration indicating a list of available subbands to a group of UEs and / or to a specific UE. In a first embodiment, the gNB may transmit the configuration via broadcast signaling (e.g., MIB, SIB1). In a second embodiment, the gNB may transmit the configuration via common or dedicated RRC signaling. In a third embodiment, the gNB may transmit the configuration via a DCI message.

[0144] In step 2209, the gNB monitors the subbands it indicates to the UE.

[0145] In step 2211, the gNB detects if it receives a random access request in at least one of the indicated subbands.

[0146] In step 2213, the gNB schedules time and frequency resources for the UE for reception of UL information in at least one of the indicated subbands.

[0147] 23 is a flow diagram of a BWP switching mechanism according to some aspects of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The method 2300 will be described with reference to one of the UEs 1105 and 1800 illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 19, respectively.

[0148] In step 2303, the UE receives a configuration from the gNB indicating a list of available subband IDs.

[0149] In step 2306, the UE selects subbands within the indicated set of subbands for UL transmission of data to the gNB. In one embodiment, the UE may select a subset of subbands within the set of subbands and perform LBT simultaneously on all subbands in the subset to determine available subbands for UL transmission of information.

[0150] In step 2309, the UE executes an LBT mechanism to determine the selected sub-bandpass LBT.

[0151] In step 2310, if the LBT passes for the selected subband, the UE proceeds to step 2310. If the LBT fails for the selected subband, the UE proceeds to step 2311 and checks whether it has performed LBT for all subbands in the set indicated by the gNB.

[0152] In step 2313, if all LBTs fail for all subbands in the set of subbands indicated by the gNB, the UE notifies the gNB of a radio link failure (RLF).

[0153] In step 2314, the UE selects a BWP in at least one subband that passes the LBT test.

[0154] In step 2320, the UE sends a random access request to the gNB on the selected BWP.

[0155] In step 2323, if the random access request is successful, switch to the new BWP.

[0156] In step 2327, the UE starts transmitting information data to the gNB on the new BPW.

[0157] The exemplary blocks and modules described in this disclosure with respect to various exemplary embodiments may be implemented or performed using a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. Examples of general purpose processors include microprocessors, any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, etc. In some examples, a processor may be implemented using a combination of devices (e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in combination with a DSP core, or any other such configuration).

[0158] The functions described in this disclosure may be implemented in hardware, software executed by a processor, firmware, or any combination thereof. Instructions or code may be stored on or transmitted to a computer-readable medium to implement the functions. Other examples for implementing the functions disclosed herein are also within the scope of this disclosure. Implementation of the functions may be via physically co-located or distributed elements (e.g., in various locations), including being distributed such that some of the functions are implemented in different physical locations.

[0159] Computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, non-transitory computer storage media. Non-transitory storage media may be accessed by general-purpose or special-purpose computers. Examples of non-transitory storage media include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, compact disc (CD) ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage, etc. Non-transitory media may be used to carry or store desired program code means (e.g., instructions and / or data structures) and may be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer or a general-purpose or special-purpose processor. In some examples, software / program code may be transmitted from a remote source (e.g., a website, a server, etc.) using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave. In such examples, coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are within the definition of medium. Combinations of the above examples are also within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0160] As used in this disclosure, the use of the term "or" in a list of items indicates an inclusive list. A list of items can begin with a phrase such as "at least one" or "one or more." For example, a list of at least one of A, B, or C includes A or B or C or AB (i.e., A and B) or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Also, as used in this disclosure, the phrase "based on" preceding a list of conditions should not be interpreted as "based only on" the set of conditions, but rather as "based at least in part on" the set of conditions. For example, a result described as "based on condition A" can be based on both condition A and condition B without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0161] As used herein, the terms "comprise," "include," or "contain" may be used interchangeably, have the same meaning, and should be construed as inclusive and open-ended. The terms "comprise," "include," or "contain" may be used before a list of elements to indicate that at least all of the listed elements in the list are present, but that other elements not in the list may also be present. For example, if A contains B and C, then both {B,C} and {B,C,D} are within the scope of A.

[0162] This disclosure describes exemplary configurations in connection with the accompanying drawings, which do not represent every example that may be implemented or every configuration within the scope of this disclosure. The term "exemplary" should not be interpreted as "preferred" or "advantageous over other examples," but rather as "an example, instance, or example." Reading this disclosure, including the description of the embodiments and drawings, is Those skilled in the art will understand that the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented using alternative embodiments. Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments, or specific features of the embodiments described herein, can be combined to arrive at yet other embodiments for implementing the techniques described in this disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not limited to the examples and designs described herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein. (Other) The present embodiment includes the following aspects that follow the above disclosure. (Aspect 1) 1. A method of data transmission, comprising: receiving, by a user equipment (UE), a configuration message indicating one or more frequency bands for transmitting wireless signals; determining, by the UE, a subset of the one or more frequency bands; performing, by the UE, a listen-before-talk (LBT) operation for each frequency band of the subset of the one or more frequency bands; transmitting, by the UE, a wireless signal in at least one of the frequency bands in the subset; A method comprising: (Aspect 2) 2. The method of aspect 1, wherein the transmitting step includes transmitting at least one of a random access request, an information data signal, or a control signal. (Aspect 3) The determining step includes: determining a bandwidth portion (BWP) in the at least one of the frequency bands of the subset, the BWP spanning the at least one of the frequency bands of the subset; selecting the BWP for the transmission of the wireless signal; 2. The method of embodiment 1, comprising: (Aspect 4) The bandwidth portion (BWP) is a first portion for transmitting the random access request; a second part for transmitting the information data and / or the control signal; 4. The method of embodiment 3, comprising: (Aspect 5) The transmitting step includes: transmitting the random access request in the first portion of the bandwidth portion (BWP); transmitting the information data signal and / or the control signal in the second part of the BWP; 5. The method of embodiment 4, comprising: (Aspect 6) the configuration message includes identification information specifying a bandwidth and location of each of the one or more frequency bands of the subset; 2. The method of embodiment 1. (Aspect 7) 2. The method of aspect 1, wherein the configuration message is received via a radio resource layer (RRC) protocol. (Aspect 8) 2. The method of aspect 1, wherein the configuration message is received via dedicated user equipment (UE) specific signaling. (Aspect 9) The method of aspect 1, wherein the user equipment (UE) is located within a cell of a wireless network, and the configuration message is received via common signaling shared by the UE and other UEs within the cell of the wireless network. (Aspect 10) 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration message is received via a downlink control information (DCI) message that includes identification information specifying a bandwidth and location of each of the one or more frequency bands of the subset. (Aspect 11) 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the downlink control information (DCI) message is specific to the user equipment (UE). (Aspect 12) 1. A method of data transmission, comprising: determining, by a base station, a subset of a plurality of available frequency bands; transmitting, by the base station, a configuration message indicating the subset of the plurality of available frequency bands for receiving wireless signals by the base station; monitoring, by the base station, the subset of the plurality of available frequency bands; and detecting, by the base station, a radio signal comprising a random access request, information data, and / or control signaling from a user equipment (UE) in at least one frequency band of the subset of available frequency bands. (Aspect 13) measuring a key performance indicator (KPI) in each of the available frequency bands; and determining the subset of the plurality of available frequency bands based on a quality of the KPI indicator; 13. The method of embodiment 12, further comprising: (Aspect 14) performing a listen-before-talk (LBT) operation in each of the available frequency bands; and determining the subset of the plurality of available frequency bands based on a successful result in each of the available frequency bands; 13. The method of embodiment 12, further comprising: (Aspect 15) 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the configuration message includes identification information specifying a bandwidth and location of one or more frequency bands in the subset. (Aspect 16) 13. The method of aspect 12, wherein the configuration message is transmitted via a radio resource layer (RRC) protocol. (Aspect 17) 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the configuration message is transmitted to a user equipment (UE) via UE-specific dedicated signaling. (Aspect 18) 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the configuration message is transmitted to a group of user equipments (UEs) located within a cell of a wireless network via common signaling, the common signaling being shared among the group of UEs. (Aspect 19) 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the configuration message is transmitted via a downlink control information (DCI) message that includes identification information specifying a bandwidth and a location of each of the one or more frequency bands of the subset. (Aspect 20) 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the DCI message is specific to the user equipment (UE). How to do it. (Aspect 21) A user equipment (UE), a transceiver configured to receive a configuration message indicating one or more frequency bands for transmitting wireless signals; communicating with the transceiver; performing a listen-before-talk (LBT) operation on each frequency band of the one or more frequency bands; a processor configured to determine at least one subset frequency band of the one or more frequency bands; and a user equipment (UE), wherein the transceiver is further configured to transmit the wireless signal in the at least one subset frequency band of the one or more frequency bands. (Aspect 22) A base station, a processor configured to determine a subset of one or more frequency bands; in communication with the processor; transmitting a configuration message indicating the subset of the one or more frequency bands; monitoring the subset of the one or more frequency bands; a transceiver configured to detect radio signals including random access requests, information data, and control signaling from user equipment (UE) in the one or more frequency bands of the subset. (Aspect 23) A non-transitory computer readable medium having program code recorded thereon, the program code comprising: code for controlling a user equipment (UE) on which a portion of the program code is operable to receive a configuration message indicating one or more frequency bands for transmitting wireless signals; code for controlling the UE to determine the subset of the one or more frequency bands; a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising: code for controlling the UE to perform a listen-before-talk (LBT) operation for each frequency band of the subset of the one or more frequency bands; and code for controlling the UE to transmit a wireless signal in at least one frequency band of the subset of the one or more frequency bands. (Aspect 24) A non-transitory computer readable medium having program code recorded thereon, the program code comprising: code for controlling a base station on which a portion of the program code is operable to determine a subset of a plurality of frequency bands for transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals; code for controlling the base station to transmit a configuration message indicating the subset of the plurality of frequency bands for receiving wireless signals; code for controlling the base station to monitor the subset of the plurality of frequency bands; and code for controlling the base station to detect, in at least one of the subset of the plurality of frequency bands, wireless signals including random access requests, information data, and control signaling from a UE.

Claims

1. 1. A method of data transmission, comprising: receiving, by a user equipment (UE), a configuration message from a base station via dedicated radio resource control (RRC) signaling, indicating one or more frequency bands for transmitting wireless signals; detecting, by the UE, a first listen-before-talk (LBT) failure on a first frequency band included in the one or more frequency bands and corresponding to a first bandwidth portion (BWP); In response to detecting a failure of the first LBT, performing, by the UE, a second LBT on a second frequency band different from the first frequency band; After the second LBT is successful, the UE sends a random access preamble to the base station at a second BWP corresponding to the second frequency band; A method comprising:

2. 1. A method of data transmission, comprising: transmitting, by a base station, a configuration message to a user equipment (UE) via dedicated radio resource control (RRC) signaling, indicating one or more frequency bands for transmitting radio signals; setting, by the base station, a first bandwidth portion (BWP) corresponding to a first frequency band included in the one or more frequency bands as a BWP for communication with the UE; configuring, by the base station, a first portion for transmitting a random access preamble by the UE to a second BWP corresponding to a second frequency band different from the first frequency band; detecting, by the base station, the random access preamble in the first portion of the second BWP after the UE detects successful listen-before-talk on a second frequency band; A method comprising:

3. A user equipment (UE), a transceiver configured to receive a configuration message from a base station via dedicated Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, the configuration message indicating one or more frequency bands for transmitting wireless signals; communicating with the transceiver; Detecting a first listen-before-talk (LBT) failure on a first frequency band included in the one or more frequency bands and corresponding to a first bandwidth portion (BWP); In response to detecting a failure of the first LBT, a second LBT is performed on a second frequency band different from the first frequency band. and a processor configured to: The transceiver is further configured to transmit a random access preamble to the base station at a second BWP corresponding to the second frequency band after the second LBT is successful, a user equipment (UE).

4. A base station, a transceiver configured to transmit, by a base station, a configuration message indicating one or more frequency bands for transmitting wireless signals to a user equipment (UE) via dedicated radio resource control (RRC) signaling; communicating with the transceiver; a first bandwidth corresponding to a first frequency band included in the one or more frequency bands; setting a BWP as a BWP for communicating with the UE; and configuring a first portion for the UE to transmit a random access preamble to a second BWP corresponding to a second frequency band different from the first frequency band. and a processor configured to: the transceiver is further configured to detect the random access preamble in the first portion of the second BWP after the UE detects successful listen-before-talk on a second frequency band.

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