Systems and methods for extending communication coverage in non-terrestrial based networks - Patents.com

Abstract

A system and method for communication coverage extension in a non-terrestrial based network (NTN) is presented. A wireless communication device may determine a set of one or more resources to use to indicate information for a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) repetition of a msg4 hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) transmission. The wireless communication device may send a msg1 transmission to a wireless communication node using the set of one or more resources to indicate information for the PUCCH repetition.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, including, but not limited to, systems and methods for communication coverage extension in non-terrestrial based networks (NTNs). [Background technology]

[0002] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP®), a standards organization, is currently defining a new air interface called 5G New Radio (5G NR), and the Next Generation Packet Core Network (NG-CN or NGC). 5G NR has three main components: 5G Access Network (5G-AN), 5G Core Network (5GC), and User Equipment (UE). To facilitate the enablement of different data services and requirements, the elements of 5GC, also called network functions, have been simplified, some of them software-based and some hardware-based, so that they can be adapted as needed. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0003] Exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are directed to solving problems associated with one or more problems presented in the prior art, and providing further features that will be readily apparent by reference to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. According to various embodiments, exemplary systems, methods, devices, and computer program products are disclosed herein. However, these embodiments are presented by way of example and not limitation, and as will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure, various modifications to the disclosed embodiments (including, for example, combining features from various disclosed examples, embodiments, and / or implementations) may be made while remaining within the scope of this disclosure.

[0004] At least one aspect relates to the following system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium: A wireless communication device (e.g., a UE) may determine a set of one or more resources to use to indicate information (e.g., a request or support) for a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) repetition of a msg4 hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) transmission. The wireless communication device may send a msg1 transmission to a wireless communication node (e.g., a BS) using the set of one or more resources to indicate the information for the PUCCH repetition. The information for the PUCCH repetition may include at least one of a request for a PUCCH repetition of a msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission or support for a PUCCH repetition of a msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission.

[0005] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may receive from the wireless communication node, in response to the msg1 transmission, an indication of a repetition number for the PUCCH repetition or a confirmation to support the PUCCH repetition. The wireless communication device may determine (e.g., select) a repetition number for the PUCCH repetition from a plurality of candidate repetition numbers. By this determination (e.g., selection), the wireless communication node may perform blind detection for the PUCCH repetition.

[0006] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may transmit a msg1 transmission using one or more sets of resources to indicate or recommend the number of repetitions to the wireless communication node. One or more sets of resources may correspond to the number of repetitions. Another set of one or more resources may correspond to a different number of repetitions.

[0007] In some embodiments, a wireless communication device (e.g., a UE) may determine at least one repetition number. The wireless communication device may transmit the repetition number to a wireless communication node (e.g., a BS / network) via a msg3 transmission.

[0008] In some embodiments, the determination of the at least one number of repetitions may be one of selected from a predetermined value or from at least one candidate value received from a wireless communication node. The wireless communication device may receive confirmation from the wireless communication node to support the PUCCH repetitions.

[0009] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may receive an indication or confirmation from the wireless communication node via at least one of a system information block (SIB) signaling, a master information block (MIB) signaling, a msg2 transmission, or a downlink control information (DCI) signaling for msg4. The wireless communication device may receive one or more repetition candidate number configurations from the wireless communication node via at least one of a system information block (SIB) signaling, a master information block (MIB) signaling, a msg2 transmission, or a downlink control information (DCI) signaling for msg4. The wireless communication device may determine at least one of the one or more candidate repetition number configurations, an indication of a repetition number for PUCCH repetitions, or a confirmation to support PUCCH repetitions according to a cell type or network type.

[0010] In some embodiments, a wireless communication device (e.g., UE) may send a msg3 transmission to a wireless communication node (e.g., BS) to request demodulation reference signal (DMRS) bundling. The wireless communication device may send a msg4 Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request Acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) transmission with DMRS bundling to the wireless communication node. The msg3 transmission may include a one-bit value indicating a request for DMRS bundling. The time window for DMRS bundling may be less than or equal to the segment length for pre-compensation. The wireless communication device may receive a configuration of the segment length from the wireless communication node via system information block (SIB) signaling.

[0011] In some embodiments, a wireless communication node (e.g., BS) may receive a msg1 transmission from a wireless communication device (e.g., UE) using one or more resource sets. Use of the one or more resource sets may indicate information (e.g., request or support) for a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) repetition of a msg4 Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request-Acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) transmission.

[0012] In some embodiments, a wireless communication node (e.g., a BS) may transmit a configuration including a number of candidate repetition numbers to a wireless communication device (e.g., a UE), and the wireless communication node may receive a selected number of repetitions from the number of candidate repetition numbers from the wireless communication device.

[0013] In some embodiments, a wireless communication node (e.g., a BS) may receive a msg3 transmission to request demodulation reference signal (DMRS) bundling from a wireless communication device (e.g., a UE). The wireless communication node may receive a msg4 Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request Acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) transmission with DMRS bundling from the wireless communication device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] Various exemplary embodiments of the present solution are described in detail below with reference to the following figures or drawings. The drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and merely depict exemplary embodiments of the present solution to facilitate the reader's understanding of the present solution. Thus, the drawings should not be considered as limiting the breadth, scope, or applicability of the present solution. Please note that for clarity and ease of illustration, the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates an example of a cellular communication network in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0016] [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of an example of a base station and a user equipment device in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] [Diagram 3] 1 illustrates an example of a non-terrestrial based network (NTN) according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] [Figure 4] FIG. 1 illustrates a flow diagram for communication coverage extension in a non-terrestrial based network (NTN) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] (1. Mobile Communications Technology and the Environment) FIG. 1 illustrates an example wireless communication network and / or system 100 in which techniques disclosed herein according to embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented. In the following description, the wireless communication network 100 may be any wireless network, such as a cellular network or a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) network, and is referred to herein as "network 100." Such an example network 100 includes a base station 102 (hereinafter "BS 102," also referred to as a wireless communication node) and a user equipment device 104 (hereinafter "UE 104," also referred to as a wireless communication device) that may communicate with each other via a communication link 110 (e.g., a wireless communication channel), and a cluster of cells 126, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 that overlap a geographic region 101. In FIG. 1, the BS 102 and the UE 104 are contained within the respective geographic boundaries of the cell 126. Each of the other cells 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 may include at least one base station operating in its assigned bandwidth to provide adequate wireless communication coverage to intended users.

[0020] For example, the BS 102 may operate in an assigned channel transmission bandwidth to provide adequate coverage to the UE 104. The BS 102 and the UE 104 may communicate via a downlink radio frame 118 and an uplink radio frame 124, respectively. Each radio frame 118 / 124 may be further divided into subframes 120 / 127 that may include data symbols 122 / 128. In this disclosure, the BS 102 and the UE 104 are generally described herein as non-limiting examples of "communication nodes" that may practice the methods disclosed herein. Such communication nodes may be capable of wireless and / or wired communication in accordance with various embodiments of the present solution.

[0021] 2 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary wireless communication system 200 for transmitting and receiving wireless communication signals (e.g., OFDM / OFDMA signals) in accordance with some embodiments of the present solution. System 200 may include components and elements configured to support known or conventional operational features that need not be described in detail herein. In an exemplary embodiment, system 200 may be used to communicate (e.g., transmit and receive) data symbols in a wireless communication environment, such as wireless communication environment 100 of FIG. 1, as previously described.

[0022] The system 200 generally includes a base station 202 (hereinafter "BS 202") and a user equipment device 204 (hereinafter "UE 204"). The BS 202 includes a BS (base station) transceiver module 210, a BS antenna 212, a BS processor module 214, a BS memory module 216, and a network communication module 218, each of which is coupled and interconnected with each other as needed via a data communication bus 220. The UE 204 includes a UE (user equipment) transceiver module 230, a UE antenna 232, a UE memory module 234, and a UE processor module 236, each of which is coupled and interconnected with each other as needed via a data communication bus 240. The BS 202 communicates with the UE 204 over a communication channel 250, which may be any wireless channel or other medium suitable for the transmission of data as described herein.

[0023] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, system 200 may further include any number of modules other than those shown in FIG. 2. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various exemplary blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logic described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented in hardware, computer readable software, firmware, or any practical combination thereof. To clearly illustrate this compatibility and suitability of hardware, firmware, and software, the various exemplary components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software may depend on the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those familiar with the concepts described herein may implement such functionality in a manner suitable for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure.

[0024] According to some embodiments, the UE transceiver 230 may be referred to herein as an “uplink” transceiver 230 including a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver, each with circuitry coupled to an antenna 232. A duplex switch (not shown) may alternatively couple the uplink transmitter or receiver to the uplink antenna in a time-duplexed manner. Similarly, according to some embodiments, the BS transceiver 210 may be referred to herein as a “downlink” transceiver 210 including an RF transmitter and an RF receiver, each with circuitry coupled to an antenna 212. A downlink duplex switch may alternatively couple the downlink transmitter or receiver to the downlink antenna 212 in a time-duplexed manner. The operation of the two transceiver modules 210 and 230 may be time-coordinated such that the downlink transmitter is coupled to the downlink antenna 212 at the same time that the uplink receiver circuitry is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 for reception of transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250. Conversely, the operation of the two transceivers 210 and 230 may be time-coordinated such that the uplink transmitter is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 at the same time that the downlink receiver is coupled to the downlink antenna 212 for reception of transmissions over the wireless transmission link 250. In some embodiments, there is a truncated time synchronization with a minimum guard time between changes in duplex direction.

[0025] The UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to communicate over a wireless data communication link 250 and cooperate with appropriately configured RF antenna arrangements 212 / 232 that may support a particular wireless communication protocol and modulation scheme. In some exemplary embodiments, the UE transceiver 210 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to support industry standards such as Long Term Evolution (LTE) and the emerging 5G standard. However, it will be understood that the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to application to a particular standard and associated protocol. Rather, the UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 may be configured to support alternative or additional wireless data communication protocols, including future standards or variants thereof.

[0026] According to various embodiments, the BS 202 may be, for example, an evolved Node B (eNB), a serving eNB, a target eNB, a femto station, or a pico station. In some embodiments, the UE 204 may be embodied in various types of user devices, such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet, a laptop computer, a wearable computing device, etc. The processor modules 214 and 236 may be implemented or realized using a general purpose processor, a content addressable memory, a digital signal processor, an application specific integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array, any suitable programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. Thus, the processor may be realized as a microprocessor, a controller, a microcontroller, a state machine, etc. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in combination with a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

[0027] Furthermore, the steps of the methods or algorithms described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, firmware, software modules executed by the processor modules 214 and 236, respectively, or any practical combination thereof. The memory modules 216 and 234 may be realized as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this regard, the memory modules 216 and 234 may be coupled to the processor modules 210 and 230, respectively, such that the processor modules 210 and 230 can read information from and write information to the memory modules 216 and 234, respectively. The memory modules 216 and 234 may also be integrated into the respective processor modules 210 and 230. In some embodiments, each of the memory modules 216 and 234 may include a cache memory for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions executed by the processor modules 210 and 230, respectively. Each of the memory modules 216 and 234 may also include non-volatile memory for storing instructions executed by the processor modules 210 and 230, respectively.

[0028] The network communications module 218 generally represents hardware, software, firmware, processing logic, and / or other components of the base station 202 that enable bidirectional communication between the base station transceiver 210 and other network components and communication nodes configured to communicate with the base station 202. For example, the network communications module 218 may be configured to support Internet or WiMAX traffic. In a typical arrangement, without limitation, the network communications module 218 provides an 802.3 Ethernet interface such that the base station transceiver 210 may communicate with a conventional Ethernet-based computer network. As such, the network communications module 218 may include a physical interface for connecting to a computer network (e.g., a Mobile Switching Center (MSC)). The terms "configured for," "configured to," and conjugations thereof, as used herein with respect to a specified operation or function, refer to devices, components, circuits, structures, machines, signals, etc. that are physically configured, programmed, formatted, and / or arranged to perform the specified operation or function.

[0029] The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model (referred to herein as the "Open Systems Interconnection Model") is a conceptual and logical layout that defines the network communications used by systems (e.g., wireless communication devices, wireless communication nodes) that are open to interconnection and communication with other systems. The model is divided into seven subcomponents or layers, each of which represents a conceptual collection of services provided to the layers above and below it. The OSI model also defines logical networks, effectively describing computer packet transfers by using different layer protocols. The OSI model may be referred to as the seven-layer OSI model or seven-layer model. In some embodiments, the first layer may be the physical layer. In some embodiments, the second layer may be the medium access control (MAC) layer. In some embodiments, the third layer may be the radio link control (RLC) layer. In some embodiments, the fourth layer may be the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer. In some embodiments, the fifth layer may be the radio resource control (RRC) layer. In some embodiments, the sixth layer may be a non-access stratum (NAS) layer or an Internet Protocol (IP) layer, and the seventh layer is another layer.

[0030] In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the present solution, various exemplary embodiments of the present solution are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, after reading the present disclosure, various changes or modifications to the examples described herein can be made without departing from the scope of the present solution. Thus, the present solution is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and applications described and illustrated herein. Furthermore, the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein is merely an example approach. Based on design preferences, the specific order or hierarchy of steps of the disclosed methods or processes can be rearranged while remaining within the scope of the present solution. Thus, those skilled in the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or operations in a sample order, and that the present solution is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented, unless otherwise specified. 2. Systems and methods for extending communication coverage in non-terrestrial networks (NTN)

[0031] Communication coverage extension for non-terrestrial based networks (NTN) may mitigate performance loss due to large distance between user equipment (UE) and satellite. For some commercial UEs (e.g., smartphones), communication coverage problems may exist. To improve communication coverage performance, repetition may be considered. In terrestrial network (TN) systems, physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) repetition may not be supported for hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ)-acknowledgement (ACK) transmission for message 4 (msg4). In this disclosure, PUCCH repetition for HARQ-ACK transmission for msg4 is investigated. The systems and methods presented herein include novel approaches for communication coverage extension in non-terrestrial based networks.

[0032] 3 shows an example of a representation of an NTN, e.g., a transparent NTN. In some embodiments, the link between the UE and the satellite may be a service link. The link between the base station (BS) and the satellite may be a feeder link. The feeder link may be common to all UEs in the same cell.

[0033] In the initial access, a four-step random access channel (RACH) procedure may be applied. The initial access may refer to a series of processes between the UE and the network (e.g., gNB) for the UE to acquire uplink synchronization and obtain a designated identifier (ID) for radio access communication. In some embodiments, the initial access may be referred to as a "RACH process." In msg4, the UE may receive contention resolution information from the BS. The UE may send a HARQ-ACK for msg4 to the BS in the PUCCH to check whether msg4 is successfully received. In a TN system, such PUCCH repetition may not be supported. (Implementation Example 1: Network Configuration for PUCCH Repetition)

[0034] PUCCH repetition for msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission may not be supported in TN systems. To support this feature, new configuration signaling may be required. Since msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission is performed in a RACH procedure, a radio resource control (RRC) connection may not be established. The new configuration may be signaled via at least one of a system information block (SIB) broadcast, a master information block (MIB) broadcast, message 2 (msg2), or a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) / downlink control information (DCI) for msg4.

[0035] The configuration may include at least one of (i) candidate values ​​for the PUCCH repetition factor / repetition number, (ii) a specific value for the PUCCH repetition factor / repetition number, or (iii) enablement / confirmation signaling of repetitive transmission of the PUCCH. The candidate values ​​(e.g., a set of values) for the PUCCH repetition factor / repetition number may be indicated to the UE for selection. The UE may follow the configuration to use the specific value for the PUCCH repetition factor / repetition number. If only one repetition factor / repetition number is supported, the UE may use that repetition factor / repetition number. If multiple repetition factors / repetition numbers are supported, the UE may select an appropriate repetition factor / repetition number from the candidate repetition factors / repetition numbers. The network may perform blind detection based on the candidate repetition factors / repetition numbers.

[0036] Since PUCCH repetition for msg4HARQ-ACK may be supported only in limited scenarios, the configuration may be implicitly indicated by the network type. In such a case, at least one of the following may be supported: (i) a candidate value for the repetition factor / repetition number of the PUCCH may be implicitly indicated to the UE via the network type or cell type; (ii) a specific value for the repetition factor / repetition number of the PUCCH may be implicitly indicated to the UE via the network type or cell type; (iii) enablement signaling of the repetition transmission of the PUCCH may be implicitly indicated to the UE via the network type or cell type. If only one repetition factor / repetition number is supported, the UE may use that repetition factor / repetition number. If multiple repetition factors / repetition numbers are supported, the UE may select an appropriate one from the candidate repetition factors / repetition numbers. The network may perform blind detection based on the candidate repetition factors / repetition numbers. (Implementation Example 2: UE Request for PUCCH Repetition)

[0037] PUCCH repetition for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission may not be supported in TN systems. Therefore, not all UEs may support PUCCH repetition. Different elevation angles may result in different communication coverage. Some UEs may require repetition to mitigate performance loss, and some UEs may not require repetition to mitigate performance loss. Therefore, whether repetition is required and / or requested may be determined by the UE. The UE may request the number of repetitions from the transmitter.

[0038] Since msg4 is received in the RACH procedure, the UE may be able to indicate a request for repetition with msg1 and / or msg3.

[0039] In msg1, a physical random access channel (PRACH) preamble may be transmitted. In the PRACH preamble, no data may be carried. If the UE wants to indicate a request for PUCCH repetition for msg4 HARQ-ACK, the UE may transmit msg1 on at least one set of resources. The at least one set of resources may be predefined or configured for a request for PUCCH repetition by the UE. At least one of the following examples may be considered.

[0040] Example-1: A set of resources may be predefined or configured for a UE that may need / request / support PUCCH repetition for msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission. In some embodiments, the network may determine (e.g., indicate) a set of resources to be used to indicate a request for a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) repetition of a msg4 hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) transmission. The network may indicate a set of resources to be used to indicate a request for a PUCCH repetition of a msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission to the UE. The UE may determine a set of resources to be used to indicate a request for a PUCCH repetition of a msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission according to an instruction by the network. If the UE transmits msg1 in a set of resources, the network may know / recognize the UE's need / request / support for repetition. The network may indicate a repetition factor / number of repetitions. If only one repetition factor / number of repetitions is supported, the network may not provide further instruction or may indicate confirmation of the repetition transmission as described in implementation example 1. The network may allocate PUCCH resources for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission based on the repetition factor / number of repetitions.

[0041] Example-1b; A set of resources may be predefined or configured for a UE that may need / request / support PUCCH repetition for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission. If the UE transmits msg1 in the set of resources, the network may know / recognize the UE's need / request / support for repetition. The number of repetitions may be predefined information or may be chosen / determined / selected by the UE from a set of candidate values ​​indicated by the network as described in implementation example 1. The network may not provide further indication or may indicate confirmation of repetitive transmission as described in implementation example 1. If the number of candidate values ​​is greater than 1, the network may perform blind detection of PUCCH for msg4HARQ-ACK. During blind detection, the network may attempt different numbers of repetitions (e.g., 1, 2, 4, or 8) to detect the PUCCH.

[0042] Example-2: At least one set of resources may be predefined or configured for a UE that may need / request / support PUCCH repetition for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission. Each set of resources may correspond to a specific repetition factor / repetition number for PUCCH. The UE may transmit msg1 in the set of resources (including the repetition number recommended by the UE). The network may know / know the repetition factor / repetition number recommended / suggested by the UE. The network may indicate the repetition factor / repetition number. The repetition indicated by the network may be determined according to the repetition factor / repetition number recommended / suggested by the UE. The determination of the repetition number may take into account the UE recommendation, but is ultimately controlled by the BS. The network may allocate PUCCH resources for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission based on the repetition factor / repetition number.

[0043] Example-3: At least one set of resources may be predefined or configured for a UE that may need / request / support PUCCH repetition for msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission. The UE may transmit msg1 in a set of resources (including the number of repetitions recommended by the UE). Each set of resources may correspond to a specific repetition factor / number of repetitions for the PUCCH. The network may know / know the number of repetitions that the UE may use and may follow the request by the UE. The network may not indicate or may indicate confirmation of the repetition transmission as described in Implementation Example 1. The network may allocate PUCCH resources for msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission based on the repetition factor / number of repetitions (e.g., may follow the number of repetitions recommended by the UE).

[0044] In a particular embodiment, the at least one set of resources may be predefined information or may be configured by the network via at least one of a SIB broadcast or a MIB broadcast.

[0045] In msg3, the UE may transmit some necessary information to the network for access (e.g., Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier (C-RNTI)). msg3 may carry some payload. The UE may define new bit fields or reinterpret existing bit fields in msg3 for signaling of the UE's request / support of PUCCH repetition for msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission. The signaling may be supported for a specific scenario (e.g., NTN). If the UE is served by an NTN cell, the signaling of the UE's request / support of PUCCH repetition may be supported. At least one of the following examples may be considered.

[0046] Example-4: A one-bit field may be newly defined in msg3 or reinterpreted from an existing bit field of msg3 (including reserved bits) to indicate the UE's request / support for PUCCH repetition for msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission. For example, if a "1" is signaled, it may indicate that the UE requests / supports repetition. The network may know / know that the UE needs / requests / supports PUCCH repetition for msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission. If a "0" is signaled or the bit field is not present, PUCCH repetition for msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission may not be required / supported. The number of repetitions may be predefined information or may be selected / determined by the UE from a set of candidate values ​​indicated by the network as described in implementation example 1. The number of candidate values ​​may be 1 or more. If the number of candidate values ​​is equal to 1, the UE uses the value. The network may not indicate or may indicate confirmation of repetitive transmission as described in implementation example 1. If the number of candidate values ​​is greater than 1, the network may perform blind detection of the PUCCH for msg4HARQ-ACK, i.e., the network may try different numbers of iterations to detect the PUCCH. If the bit field is not present, PUCCH repetitions for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission may not be requested / supported by the UE, i.e., the behavior may be followed by the UE.

[0047] Example-5: A bit field may be newly defined in msg3 or reinterpreted from existing bit fields (including reserved bits) of msg3 to indicate the requested / supported PUCCH repetition factor / repetition number for msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission. The network may receive a repetition number selected from multiple candidate repetition numbers from the UE. The network may not indicate or may indicate confirmation of the repetition transmission as described in implementation example 1. The network may allocate PUCCH resources for msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission based on the repetition factor / repetition number. The bit field size may be determined by the candidate value for the repetition factor / repetition number. The candidate value for the repetition factor / repetition number may be predefined information or may be indicated by the network as described in implementation example 1. If the bit field is not present, PUCCH repetition for msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission may not be requested / supported by the UE. That is, the behavior may be followed by the UE.

[0048] Furthermore, the repetition request may be achieved by combining msg1 and msg3, where msg1 may indicate the request / support for repetition and msg3 may indicate the selected repetition factor / number of repetitions. In such a case, at least one of the following examples is possible:

[0049] Example-6: As in Example-1, a set of resources may be predefined or configured for a UE that may need / request / support PUCCH repetition for msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission. When the UE transmits msg1 in the set of resources, the network may know / recognize the UE's request / support repetition and may indicate a candidate repetition factor / repetition number in msg2. The UE may indicate a selected / requested repetition factor / repetition number in msg3 in a newly defined or reinterpreted bit field as in Example-5. The UE and the network may achieve a consensus on the PUCCH repetition factor / repetition number. The network may allocate PUCCH resources for msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission based on the repetition factor / repetition number.

[0050] Example-7: As in Example-1, a set of resources may be predefined or configured for a UE that may require / request / support PUCCH repetition for msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission. If the UE transmits msg1 on such a set of resources, the network may know / recognize the UE's request / support repetition and may indicate whether the repetition feature is enabled. The UE may indicate the selected / requested repetition factor / number of repetitions in msg3 in a newly defined or reinterpreted bit field as in Example-5. The UE and the network may achieve consensus on the PUCCH repetition factor / number of repetitions. The network may allocate PUCCH resources for msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission based on the repetition factor / number of repetitions. (Implementation Example 3: UE Request for DMRS Bundling)

[0051] As a method to improve communication coverage performance, demodulation reference signal (DMRS) bundling may be considered. DMRS bundling may be used to estimate reference signaling in the channel. The network may configure a DMRS bundling time domain window. DMRS within the time window may be bundled for channel estimation, which provides better performance. If DMRS bundling is supported, the required PUCCH repetition factor / number of times may be reduced and resource overhead may be saved. However, since DMRS bundling is not a mandatory feature, the UE may indicate to the network whether it supports / requires DMRS bundling.

[0052] Whether the UE supports / requests DMRS bundling may be carried in msg3. Similar to implementation example 2, the UE may specify a new bit field or reinterpret an existing bit field in msg3 for signaling of the UE's request / support DMRS bundling for PUCCH for msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission. The signaling may be supported for a specific scenario (e.g., NTN). If the UE is served by an NTN cell, signaling of the UE's request / support of PUCCH repetition may be supported. At least one of the following examples may be considered.

[0053] Example-1: A bit field may be newly defined in msg3 or reinterpreted from existing bit fields (including reserved bits) in msg3 to indicate the request / support of DMRS bundling for PUCCH for msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission. For example, if a "1" is signaled, it may indicate that the UE requests / supports DMRS bundling. The network may know / know that the UE needs / requests / supports DMRS bundling for PUCCH for msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission. If a "0" is signaled or the bit field is not present, DMRS bundling for PUCCH for msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission may not be required / supported. The DMRS bundling time window may be the same as the segment length for pre-compensation. The network may not perform the indication or may indicate confirmation of DMRS bundling in the PDCCH that may schedule msg4. If the duration of the PUCCH transmission (including repetitions) is shorter than the segment length for pre-compensation, all DMRS may be in the same bundle. In the above example, the segment length for pre-compensation may be configured by the network via a SIB broadcast.

[0054] In addition, the UE may indicate in the same signaling whether the UE supports repetition and DMRS bundling for PUCCH for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission. At least one of the following examples may be considered.

[0055] Example-2: A one-bit field may be newly defined in msg3 or reinterpreted from current / existing bit fields (including reserved bits) in msg3 to indicate whether the UE supports repetition and DMRS bundling for PUCCH for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission. For example, if a "1" is signaled, it may indicate that the UE requests / supports both repetition and DMRS bundling. The network may perform blind detection of PUCCH for msg4HARQ-ACK and may apply DMRS bundling during detection. If a "0" is signaled, it may indicate that the UE requests / supports only repetition. The network may perform blind detection of PUCCH for msg4HARQ-ACK but may not apply DMRS bundling. If the bit field is not present, it may indicate that the UE does not request / support repetition. The network may follow the previous procedure in detection.

[0056] Example-3: A bit field may be newly defined in msg3 or reinterpreted from the current / existing bit field (including reserved bits) of msg3 to indicate the requested / supported PUCCH repetition factor / repetition number for msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission as in Example 5. One possible value may be used to indicate whether DMRS bundling for PUCCH for msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission is supported. For example, a 2-bit field may be defined, where "00" indicates that 2-repetition transmission is requested / supported, "01" indicates that 4-repetition transmission is requested / supported, "10" indicates that 8-repetition transmission is requested / supported, and "11" may indicate that both 8-repetition transmission and DMRS bundling are requested / supported. The network may perform detection based on the UE's indication. Another example is that "11" may indicate that both repetition transmission and DMRS bundling are requested / supported, but the detailed repetition factor / repetition number is not indicated. In such a case, the network may perform blind detection of PUCCH for msg4HARQ-ACK and may apply DMRS bundling during detection.

[0057] It should be understood that one or more features from the above implementation examples are not limited to a particular implementation example and can be combined in any aspect (e.g., in any priority and / or order, simultaneously or otherwise).

[0058] FIG. 4 illustrates a communication coverage area in a non-terrestrial network (NTN) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 4 shows a flow diagram for range expansion. The method 400 may be implemented using any one or more of the components and devices detailed herein in connection with the figures and FIG. 2. In summary, the method 400 may be performed by a wireless communication device in some embodiments. Depending on the embodiment, additional, fewer, or different operations may be performed in the method 400. At least one aspect of the operations relates to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium.

[0059] A wireless communication device (e.g., a UE) may determine a set of one or more resources to use to indicate information (e.g., a request or support) for a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) repetition of a msg4 hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) transmission. The wireless communication device may send a msg1 transmission to a wireless communication node (e.g., a BS) using the set of one or more resources to indicate the information for the PUCCH repetition. The information for the PUCCH repetition may include at least one of a request for a PUCCH repetition of a msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission or support for a PUCCH repetition of a msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission.

[0060] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may receive from the wireless communication node, in response to the msg1 transmission, an indication of a repetition number for the PUCCH repetition or a confirmation to support the PUCCH repetition. The wireless communication device may determine (e.g., select) a repetition number for the PUCCH repetition from a plurality of candidate repetition numbers. This determination (e.g., selection) may cause the wireless communication node to perform blind detection for the PUCCH repetition.

[0061] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may transmit a msg1 transmission using one or more sets of resources to indicate or recommend the number of repetitions to the wireless communication node. One or more sets of resources may correspond to the number of repetitions. Another set of one or more resources may correspond to a different number of repetitions.

[0062] In some embodiments, a wireless communication device (e.g., a UE) may determine at least one repetition number. The wireless communication device may transmit the repetition number to a wireless communication node (e.g., a BS / network) via a msg3 transmission.

[0063] In some embodiments, the determination of the at least one number of repetitions may be selected from a predetermined value or from at least one candidate value received from a wireless communication node. The wireless communication device may receive a confirmation to support the PUCCH repetitions from the wireless communication node.

[0064] In some embodiments, the wireless communication device may receive an indication or confirmation from the wireless communication node via at least one of a system information block (SIB) signaling, a master information block (MIB) signaling, a msg2 transmission, or a downlink control information (DCI) signaling for msg4. The wireless communication device may receive one or more candidate repetition factor / number of repetition configurations from the wireless communication node via at least one of a system information block (SIB) signaling, a master information block (MIB) signaling, a msg2 transmission, or a downlink control information (DCI) signaling for msg4. The wireless communication device may determine at least one of the one or more candidate repetition number configurations, an indication of the number of repetitions for PUCCH repetitions, or a confirmation to support PUCCH repetitions according to a cell type or network type.

[0065] In some embodiments, a wireless communication device (e.g., UE) may send a msg3 transmission to a wireless communication node (e.g., BS) to request demodulation reference signal (DMRS) bundling. The wireless communication device may send a msg4 Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request Acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) transmission with DMRS bundling to the wireless communication node. The msg3 transmission may include a one-bit value indicating a request for DMRS bundling. The time window for DMRS bundling may be less than or equal to the segment length for pre-compensation. The wireless communication device may receive a configuration of the segment length from the wireless communication node via system information block (SIB) signaling.

[0066] In some embodiments, a wireless communication node (e.g., BS) may receive a msg1 transmission from a wireless communication device (e.g., UE) using one or more resource sets. Use of the one or more resource sets may indicate information (e.g., request or support) for a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) repetition of a msg4 Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request-Acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) transmission.

[0067] In some embodiments, a wireless communication node (e.g., a BS) may transmit a configuration including a number of candidate repetition numbers to a wireless communication device (e.g., a UE), and the wireless communication node may receive a selected number of repetitions from the number of candidate repetition numbers from the wireless communication device.

[0068] In some embodiments, a wireless communication node (e.g., a BS) may receive a msg3 transmission to request demodulation reference signal (DMRS) bundling from a wireless communication device (e.g., a UE). The wireless communication node may receive a msg4 Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request Acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) transmission with DMRS bundling from the wireless communication device.

[0069] Although various embodiments of the present solution have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented only as examples and not as limitations. Similarly, various figures may depict example architectures or configurations provided to enable those skilled in the art to understand example features and functionality of the present solution. However, as such skilled in the art will appreciate, the solution is not limited to the example architectures or configurations shown, but may be implemented using various alternative architectures and configurations. Furthermore, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, one or more features of one embodiment may be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the exemplary embodiments described above.

[0070] It is also understood that any reference to an element herein using a designation such as "first," "second," etc., does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. Rather, these designations may be used herein as a convenient means of distinguishing between two or more elements or instances of an element. Thus, a reference to a first and a second element does not imply that only two elements may be used or that the first element must precede the second element in any way.

[0071] Moreover, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols that may be referred to in the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0072] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, any of the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, processors, means, circuits, methods, and functions described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementations, analog implementations, or a combination of the two), firmware, various forms of programs or design code incorporating instructions (which may be referred to herein for convenience as "software" or "software modules"), or any combination of these techniques. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software, the various exemplary components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software, or a combination of these techniques, depends on the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art may implement the described functionality in various ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions do not depart from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0073] Moreover, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein may be implemented in or executed by an integrated circuit (IC), which may include 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, or any combination thereof. The logic blocks, modules, and circuits may further include an antenna and / or a transceiver for communicating with various components in a network or device. The general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in combination with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration for performing the functions described herein.

[0074] When implemented in software, the functions can be stored as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Thus, the steps of a method or algorithm disclosed herein can be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computer storage media and communication media, including any medium that can enable a computer program or code to be transferred from one place to another. A storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer.

[0075] As used herein, the term "module" refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination of these elements for performing the associated functions described herein. Additionally, for purposes of explanation, various modules are described as separate modules, however, as would be apparent to one skilled in the art, two or more modules may be combined to form a single module that performs associated functions according to embodiments of the present solution.

[0076] Furthermore, memory or other storage devices, as well as communication components, may be used in embodiments of the solution. For clarity, it may be appreciated that the above description describes embodiments of the solution with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it will be apparent that any suitable distribution of functionality between different functional units, processing logic elements, or domains may be used without detracting from the solution. For example, functions shown to be performed by separate processing logic elements or controllers may be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. Thus, references to specific functional units are merely to suitable means for providing the described functionality, rather than to a strict logical or physical structure or organization.

[0077] Various modifications to the embodiments described in this disclosure will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. 1. A method, comprising: determining, by the wireless communication device, a set of one or more resources to be used to indicate information for a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) repetition of a msg4 hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) transmission; transmitting, by the wireless communication device, a msg1 transmission to a wireless communication node using the one or more sets of resources to indicate the information for the PUCCH repetition; A method comprising:

2. The information for the PUCCH repetitions is msg4 Request for PUCCH repetition of HARQ-ACK transmission, or Support for PUCCH repetition of msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission The method of claim 1 , comprising at least one of:

3. 2. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving, by the wireless communication device, in response to the msg1 transmission, from the wireless communication node an indication of a repetition number for the PUCCH repetition or a confirmation to support the PUCCH repetition.

4. 10. The method of claim 1, comprising determining, by the wireless communication device, a number of repetitions for the PUCCH repetition from a plurality of candidate repetition numbers.

5. transmitting, by the wireless communication device, the msg1 transmission to the wireless communication node using the one or more sets of resources to indicate or recommend a number of repetitions to the wireless communication node; The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of one or more resources corresponds to the number of iterations and another set of one or more resources corresponds to a different number of iterations.

6. 1. A method, comprising: determining, by a wireless communication device, at least one number of iterations; transmitting, by the wireless communication device, the repetition number to a wireless communication node via a msg3 transmission; A method comprising:

7. The determining of the at least one number of iterations comprises: from a predetermined value; or Selected from at least one candidate value received from the wireless communication node. The method of claim 6, wherein the

8. 7. The method of claim 6, comprising receiving, by the wireless communication device, a confirmation from the wireless communication node to support the PUCCH repetition.

9. 9. The method of claim 3 or 8, comprising receiving, by the wireless communication device, the indication or the confirmation from the wireless communication node via at least one of a System Information Block (SIB) signal, a Master Information Block (MIB) signal, a msg2 transmission, or a Downlink Control Information (DCI) signaling for msg4.

10. 10. The method of claim 1 or 6, comprising receiving, by the wireless communication device, from the wireless communication node, configurations of one or more repetition candidate numbers via at least one of System Information Block (SIB) signaling, Master Information Block (MIB) signaling, msg2 transmission, or Downlink Control Information (DCI) signaling for msg4.

11. by the wireless communication device according to the cell type or network type, constructing one or more candidate iterations; an indication of the number of repetitions for the PUCCH repetition; or Confirmation for supporting PUCCH repetition The method of claim 1 or 6, comprising determining at least one of:

12. 1. A method, comprising: sending, by the wireless communication device, a msg3 transmission to the wireless communication node to request demodulation reference signal (DMRS) bundling; sending, by the wireless communication device, a msg4 hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) transmission using the DMRS bundling to the wireless communication node; A method comprising:

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the msg3 transmission includes a one-bit value indicating a request for the DMRS bundling.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the time window for the DMRS bundling is less than or equal to a segment length for pre-compensation.

15. 15. The method of claim 14, comprising receiving, by the wireless communication device, a configuration of the segment length from the wireless communication node via system information block (SIB) signaling.

16. 1. A method, comprising: receiving, by the wireless communication node, a msg1 transmission from the wireless communication device using one or more sets of resources; The method of claim 1, wherein the use of the one or more sets of resources indicates information for a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) repetition of a msg4 Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request-Acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) transmission.

17. 1. A method, comprising: transmitting, by the wireless communication node, a configuration comprising a plurality of candidate iteration numbers to the wireless communication device; receiving, by the wireless communication node, from the wireless communication device, a selected number of iterations from the plurality of candidate numbers of iterations; A method comprising:

18. 1. A method, comprising: receiving, by a wireless communication node, a msg3 transmission from a wireless communication device to request demodulation reference signal (DMRS) bundling; receiving, by the wireless communication node, from the wireless communication device, a msg4 hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) transmission using the DMRS bundling; A method comprising:

19. 20. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 18.

20. 19. An apparatus comprising at least one processor configured to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 18.

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