CORESET Placement for Narrowband New Radio

Abstract

A user equipment (UE) triggers a resource block (RB) offset allocation determination, the UE detects at least one of a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) within a received synchronization signal (SS) block (SSB), the UE reads physical broadcast channel (PBCH) parameters and signaled offsets from a master information block (MIB) of a PBCH of the SSB, the UE determines an RB offset based on the PBCH parameters and the signaled offsets, and the UE determines a control resource set (CORESET) frequency position based on the RB offset. Various techniques for a method including these are provided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This description is related to wireless communication.

Background Art

[0002] A communication system may be a function that enables communication between two or more nodes or devices, such as a fixed communication device or a mobile communication device. Signals can be carried over a wired carrier or a wireless carrier.

[0003] An example of a cellular communication system is an architecture standardized by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP: 3 rd Generation Partnership Project). Recent developments in this field are often referred to as the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) radio access technology. E-UTRA (Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access) is the air interface of the long-term evolution (LTE) upgrade path for 3GPP mobile networks. In LTE, a base station or access point (AP) called an evolved Node B (eNB) provides wireless access within a coverage area or cell. In LTE, a mobile device or mobile station is called a user equipment (UE). LTE has included multiple improvements or developments. Each feature of LTE continues to be improved.

[0004] The development of 5G New Radio (NR) is part of the evolution of mobile broadband that continues to meet the requirements of 5G, similar to the evolution of previous 3G and 4G wireless networks. 5G targets not only mobile broadband but also newly emerging use cases. The goal of 5G is to achieve a significant improvement in wireless performance, which may include new levels of data rate, latency, reliability, and security. 5G NR may be sized to efficiently connect large-scale Internet of Things (IoT), and may provide new types of mission-critical services. For example, ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC) devices may require high reliability and extremely low latency. Summary of the Invention

[0005] According to the exemplary embodiments, a device, a system, a non-transitory computer-readable medium (storing computer-executable program code executable on a computer system), and / or a method can perform a process including determining a control resource set (CORESET) frequency position from a punctured synchronization signal block according to the exemplary embodiments. The method may include triggering, by a user equipment (UE), a resource block (RB) offset allocation determination; detecting, by the UE, at least one of a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) in a received synchronization signal block (SSB); reading, by the UE, physical broadcast channel (PBCH) parameters and a transmitted offset from a master information block (MIB) of the PBCH of the SSB; determining, by the UE, an RB offset based on the PBCH parameters and the transmitted offset; and determining, by the UE, a control resource set (CORESET) frequency position based on the RB offset.

[0006] The implementation can include one or more of the following features. For example, the PBCH parameter can be the subcarrier offset (k_SSB). The trigger for determining the RB offset assignment can be based on a predefined synchronization raster point. The trigger for determining the RB offset assignment can be based on a radio frequency (RF) channel. The RB offset can be the difference between the lower end of one of the PSS or SSS and the lower end of the CORESET. The RB offset can be the difference between the lower end of the SSB and the lower end of the CORESET.

[0007] The PBCH parameter can be k_SSB, and the RB offset can be determined using a table that includes k_SSB and the offset at which the signal is transmitted. The RB offset can be determined using a table that includes the index signaled within the MIB. The SSB can include at least one punctured Physical Resource Block (PRB). The SSB can include 5 punctured PRBs, with at least one PRB punctured on both sides of the PBCH. The SSB can be a punctured SSB, and the determined CORESET frequency position can be aligned at least one of the following in frequency: the lower end of the CORESET is aligned with the lower end of the punctured SSB, the CCE boundary of the CORESET is aligned with the lower end of the punctured SSB, or the CCE boundary of the CORESET is aligned with the upper end of the punctured SSB. This method can further include the UE monitoring Type0_PDCCH from the determined CORESET. This method can further include the UE receiving a PDSCH based on the detected PDCCH in response to detecting the PDCCH of SIB1.

[0008] According to another example embodiment, a device, a system, a non-transitory computer-readable medium (storing computer-executable program code that can be executed on a computer system), and / or a method can execute a process that includes determining a control resource set (CORESET) frequency position from a punctured synchronization signal block, according to the example embodiment. The method may include determining, by a network device, a control resource set (CORESET) frequency position based on a physical resource block (PRB) puncturing pattern; determining, by the network device, a resource block (RB) offset based on the CORESET position; signaling, by the network device, a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) parameter configured to indicate the RB offset within a master information block (MIB) of a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) of a synchronization signal (SS) block (SSB) and the signaled offset; and transmitting, by the network device, the SSB.

[0009] The implementation can include one or more of the following features. For example, the PBCH parameter can be the subcarrier offset (k_SSB). The RB offset can be the difference between the lower end of one of the primary synchronization signal (PSS) or secondary synchronization signal (SSS) and the lower end of the CORESET. The RB offset can be the difference between the lower end of the SSB and the lower end of the CORESET. The PBCH parameter can be k_SSB, and the RB offset can be determined using a table that includes k_SSB and the offset to be signaled. The RB offset can be determined using a table that includes the index signaled in the MIB. The SSB can include at least one punctured physical resource block (PRB). The SSB can include 5 punctured PRBs, with at least one PRB punctured on both sides of the PBCH. The determined CORESET frequency position can be aligned at least one of the following in frequency: the lower end of the CORESET can be aligned with the lower end of the punctured SSB, the CCE boundary of the CORESET can be aligned with the lower end of the punctured SSB, or the CCE boundary of the CORESET can be aligned with the upper end of the punctured SSB.

[0010] Hereinafter, details of one or more examples of embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings and description. Other features will become apparent from the description and drawings, as well as from the claims.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2A

Figure 2B

Figure 2C

Figure 2D

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Figure 7

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a wireless network 130 according to an exemplary embodiment. In the wireless network 130 of FIG. 1, user devices 131, 132, 133, and 135, sometimes referred to as mobile stations (MS) or user equipment (UE), may be connected to (and communicate with) a base station (BS) 134, sometimes referred to as an access point (AP), an enhanced Node B (eNB), a BS, a next-generation Node B (gNB), a next-generation enhanced Node B (ng-eNB), or a network node. The terms user device and user equipment (UE) may be used interchangeably. The BS may include (or be referred to as) a radio access network (RAN) node and may include a part of the BS or a part of the RAN node (e.g., in the case of a split BS, a centralized unit (CU) and / or a distributed unit (DU), etc.). At least some of the functions of the BS (e.g., an access point (AP), a base station (BS), or an (e)Node B (eNB), a BS, a RAN node) may be performed by any node, server, or host operably coupled to a transceiver such as a remote radio head. The BS (or AP) 134 provides wireless coverage within a cell 136 that includes user devices (or UEs) 131, 132, 133, and 135. Although only four user devices (or UEs) are shown as being connected to or attached to the BS 134, any number of user devices may be provided. The BS 134 is also connected to a core network 150 via an S1 interface or an NG interface 151. This is merely one simple example of a wireless network, and other wireless networks may be used.

[0013] A base station (e.g., BS134, etc.) is an example of a radio access network (RAN) node within a wireless network. The BS (or RAN node) may be, for example, an access point (AP), gNB, eNB, or a part thereof (in the case of a split BS or split gNB, a centralized unit (CU) and / or a distributed unit (DU), etc.), or other network nodes, or may include them (or alternatively, may be regarded as them). For example, the BS (or gNB) may include a network entity of a distributed unit (DU) such as a gNB-distributed unit (gNB-DU), and a centralized unit (CU) that can control a plurality of DUs. In some cases, for example, the centralized unit (CU) may be split or separated into an entity of a control plane such as a gNB-centralized (or central) unit-control plane (gNB-CU-CP), and an entity of a user plane such as a gNB-centralized (or central) unit-user plane (gNB-CU-UP). For example, the partial entities of the CU (gNB-CU-CP, gNB-CU-UP) may be executed or provided on the same hardware or server, within the cloud, etc., or may be provided on different hardware, systems, or servers (e.g., may be physically separated or executed on different systems, hardware, or servers), and may be provided as different logical entities or different software entities (e.g., as separate or individual software entities that communicate).

[0014] As described above, in a split gNB / BS configuration, the functions of the gNB may be split between the DU and the CU. The distributed unit (DU) may provide or establish wireless communication with one or more UEs. Thus, the DU may provide one or more cells and enable the UE to communicate with the DU and / or establish a connection with the DU to receive wireless services, such as enabling the UE to send or receive data. The centralized (or central) unit (CU) may provide control functions and / or data plane functions, including control functions such as gNB control of user data transfer, mobility control, radio access network sharing, positioning, session management, etc., except for functions exclusively assigned to the DU, to one or more connected DUs. The CU may control the operation of the DU via the fronthaul (Fs) interface (e.g., the CU communicates with one or more DUs).

[0015] According to one example, generally, a BS node (e.g., BS, eNB, gNB, CU / DU, ...) or a radio access network (RAN) may be part of a mobile telecommunications system. The RAN (radio access network) may include, for example, one or more BSs or RAN nodes that implement radio access technology to enable one or more UEs to access the network or core network. Thus, for example, the RAN (RAN nodes such as BS or gNB) may exist between one or more user devices or UEs and the core network. According to an example embodiment, each RAN node (e.g., BS, eNB, gNB, CU / DU, ...) or BS may provide one or more wireless communication services to one or more UEs or user devices to enable the UEs to wirelessly access the network via the RAN node. Each RAN node or BS may perform or provide wireless communication services, such as enabling a UE or user device to establish a wireless connection with the RAN node and transmitting and / or receiving data between the RAN node and one or more of the UEs. For example, after establishing a connection with a UE, the RAN node (e.g., BS, eNB, gNB, CU / DU, ...) may transfer data received from the network or core network to the UE and / or transfer data received from the UE to the network or core network. The RAN node (e.g., BS, eNB, gNB, CU / DU, ...) may perform or provide a variety of other wireless functions or services, such as broadcasting control information (e.g., system information, etc.) to the UE, paging the UE when there is data to be delivered to the UE, assisting in handover of the UE between cells, scheduling resources for uplink data transmission from the UE and downlink data transmission to the UE, transmitting control information for configuring one or more UEs, etc. There are several examples of one or more functions that the RAN node or BS may perform.The base station may be the DU (Distributed Unit) part of an IAB (Integrated Access and Backhaul) node (also known as a relay node). The DU facilitates the access link connection of the IAB node.

[0016] A user device (user terminal, user equipment (UE), mobile terminal, handheld wireless device, etc.) refers to a portable computing device that includes a wireless mobile communication device that operates with or without using a subscriber identification module (SIM) (sometimes called a universal SIM). Examples include a mobile station (MS), mobile phone, cell phone, smartphone, personal digital assistant (PDA), handset, device using a wireless modem (such as an alarm or measurement device), laptop computer and / or touch screen computer, tablet, phablet, game console, notebook, vehicle, sensor, and multimedia device, among others, but not limited to these, or any other wireless device. The user device may be (or may include) a substantially exclusive uplink-only device, such as a camera or video camera that uploads an image or video clip to the network, which should be understood. The user device may be the MT (Mobile Termination) part of an IAB (Integrated Access and Backhaul) node (also known as a relay node). The MT facilitates the backhaul connection of the IAB node. For example, a UE can be attached to a train in a Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS).

[0017] As an example, in LTE, the core network 150 may often be referred to as an Evolved Packet Core (EPC). The Evolved Packet Core (EPC) may include a mobility management entity (MME) that can handle or assist in the mobility / handover of user devices between base stations, one or more gateways that can transfer data and control signals between a base station and a packet data network or the Internet, and other control functions or blocks. Other types of wireless networks, such as 5G (which may sometimes be referred to as New Radio (NR)), may also include a core network (e.g., in 5G / NR, it may sometimes be referred to as 5GC).

[0018] In addition, as an example, the various embodiments or techniques described herein may be applied to various types of user devices or types of data services, or may be applied to a user device on which multiple applications that may be different types of data services can be executed. The development of New Radio (5G) can support multiple different applications or multiple different types of data services, examples of which include machine type communications (MTC), enhanced machine type communication (eMTC), massive machine type communications (mMTC), Internet of Things (IoT) and / or narrowband IoT user devices, enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), and ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC). Many of these new 5G (NR)-related applications may generally require higher performance than previous wireless networks.

[0019] IoT often refers to a growing group of objects that may include Internet connectivity or network connectivity, enabling these objects to send information to and receive information from other network devices. For example, many sensor-type applications or devices can monitor physical conditions or states and send reports to a server or other network devices when an event occurs, for instance. Machine-Type Communication (MTC or Machine-to-Machine Communication) may be characterized, for example, by the fully automated generation, exchange, processing, and operation of data between intelligent machines, with or without human intervention. Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) may support data rates much higher than those currently available with LTE.

[0020] Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication (URLLC) is a new type of data service or new usage scenario that can be supported for the New Radio (5G) system. Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication (URLLC) enables emerging applications and services such as industrial automation, autonomous driving, vehicle safety, e-health services, etc. 3GPP aims, for example, to provide a connection with a block error rate (BLER) of 10 ー5 and a reliability corresponding to a maximum U-plane (user / data plane) latency of up to 1 ms. Thus, for example, a URLLC user device / UE may require a short latency, in addition to a significantly lower block error rate than other types of user devices / UEs, (with or without the accompanying requirement for high reliability at the same time). Thus, for example, a URLLC UE (or a URLLC application on the UE) may require a much shorter latency compared to an eMBB UE (or an eMBB application running on the UE).

[0021] Various embodiments may be applicable to a variety of wireless technologies or wireless networks, such as LTE, LTE-A, 5G (New Radio (NR)), 5G Advanced, Narrowband New Radio operation (NB NR), centimeter-wave band and / or millimeter-wave band networks, IoT, MTC, eMTC, mMTC, eMBB, URLLC, etc., or any other wireless network or wireless technology. These exemplary network, technology, or data service types are provided merely as examples.

[0022] The UE may be configured by the gNB (or other network node) to perform different measurements and measurements to be reported to different networks (or gNB(s)). The configuration of the UE for performing reference signal (or beam) measurements (e.g., CSI-RS measurements of different beams, etc.) and reporting may be performed by the gNB that transmits the reporting configuration (e.g., CSI reporting configuration, etc.) to the UE. The reporting configuration may indicate, for example, the downlink resources (e.g., CSI-RS reference signals / SSBs, or beams) on which the measurements are to be performed, the specific quantities or parameters to be measured, and the manner in which the reporting is to be performed, such as when the reporting is to be performed.

[0023] 5G Advanced can be the next evolutionary step in 5G technology. 5G Advanced can add extended capabilities beyond connectivity and enable a wider range of advanced use cases for verticals. 5G Advanced can support advanced applications with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) that improve network performance in addition to improved mobility and high reliability. 5G Advanced can introduce improvements in spectral efficiency and energy savings. 5G Advanced can build a foundation for more demanding applications and a wider range of use cases with a truly immersive user experience based on extended reality (XR) capabilities. 5G Advanced can introduce improvements in AI and ML across the RAN, core, and network management layers for improved performance, network optimization, and energy efficiency. 5G Advanced can be backward compatible, including the ability to serve legacy 5G devices. 5G Advanced can add capabilities related to XR (e.g., AR, VR, gaming), improved coverage and MIMO performance, alternative to GSM-R, new types of devices, cellular-based positioning, time synchronization, network operation efficiency (using, e.g., AI and ML technologies), improved side links, improved mobility, etc. Enabling new radio-based mission-critical networks for spectral allocations of less than 5 MHz can be an example of a new 5G Advanced feature under consideration.

[0024] The UE measures the signal parameters (e.g., reference signal received power (RSRP), etc.) of each of a plurality of downlink reference signals (e.g., synchronization signal block / SSB signal, or channel state information (CSI) reference signals (CSI-RS)) received by the UE from a gNB / network node (or BS). Each reference signal may be transmitted by the gNB via different gNB transmission beams (or via different downlink DL reference signals). The UE may determine the strongest beam or reference signal (e.g., having the highest RSRP), and then may transmit a measurement report to the gNB. The gNB may identify, for example, the N strongest DL reference signals (or beams) and the RSRP (or other measured signal parameters) of these N beams. The gNB may use this measurement report to determine, for example, the beam to use for communicating with the UE.

[0025] According to an example embodiment, a PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) may be transmitted using 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 control channel elements (CCEs: control-channel element), and the number of CCEs may be referred to as an aggregation level (or CCE aggregation level). A CCE can be aggregated to include PDCCH candidates and can be a set of consecutive or non-consecutive resources in frequency. A resource element group (REG: Resource Element Group) bundle can be consecutive frequencies. However, a CCE including a plurality of REG bundles may be consecutive or non-consecutive (i.e., it may be a mapping from CCE to REG that is interleaved or not interleaved). According to an example embodiment, a CCE is a component of a PDCCH, and a CCE may be the smallest set of resources that can be used for a PDCCH. For example, a CCE may be a unit in which a search space for blind decoding can be defined. Thus, each PDCCH may include one or more CCEs according to the aggregation level. According to an example embodiment, a CCE may include six resource element groups (REGs), and each of these resource element groups may include one resource block in an OFDM symbol.

[0026] The search space may include a set of candidate PDCCHs (candidate downlink control channels) formed by CCEs at a specific aggregation level that the UE is to attempt to decode. The UE may have multiple search spaces (such as different common search spaces and user-specific search spaces) for various purposes. The search space may be associated with one or more control resource sets (CORESETs). The CORESET may be (or may include) the time-frequency resources on which the PDCCH is transmitted. There can be multiple search spaces using the same control resource set (CORESET), and there can be multiple configured CORESETs for the UE. Also, the control resource set (CORESET) may be (or may include) the time-frequency resources on which the UE attempts to decode candidate PDCCHs using one or more search spaces. The UE may be configured to use up to 4 bandwidth parts (BWPs) per serving cell, and different BWPs may be configured using different numerologies, and the gNB may switch different BWPs statically by configuration or dynamically by a downlink control information (DCI) message. At a specific time, one BWP can be active, and up to 3 CORESETs and up to 10 search space sets (SS sets) can be configured per BWP. Since the UE may be restricted to receive / transmit only within the BW of the active BWP, the CORESET may be restricted within the bandwidth of the BWP. In the active BWP, the UE may be configured to monitor a total of up to 3 unicast DCI format sizes and up to 4 DCI format sizes in total.

[0027] Figure 2A is a block diagram showing a synchronization signal block according to an embodiment example. A synchronization signal block, SSB, or SSB sub-carrier can include a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) 205, a primary synchronization signal (PSS) 210, and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) 215. The SSB sub-carrier can be configured to enable a UE to find a cell when entering the system and to find a new cell when moving within the system. The SSB sub-carrier can be periodically transmitted from each NR cell on the downlink. The SSB sub-carrier can be based on OFDM and can be transmitted in a set of time / frequency resources or resource elements within an OFDM time-frequency resource grid. For each cell, there can be an SSB unique to a plurality of gNB Tx beams. Figure 2A shows the time / frequency structure of the SSB. The SSB can spread over 4 OFDM symbols in the time domain and can spread over 240 sub-carriers in the frequency domain.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 2A, the SSB subcarriers can include n physical resource blocks or PRBs in the frequency domain. The SSB can occupy 240 subcarriers. When the SSB subcarriers are aligned with the PRB subcarriers, one PRB can include 12 subcarriers. Thus, n can be equal to 20, and the SSB subcarriers can occupy 20 PRBs in the frequency domain. The PSS 210 exists within the first OFDM symbol of the SSB subcarriers and can occupy 127 subcarriers or 12 PRB subcarriers (e.g., y = 12). The SSS 215 can exist within the third OFDM symbol of the SSB subcarriers and can occupy the same 127 subcarriers as the PSS 210 or 10 PRBs. The PBCH 205 exists within the second and fourth OFDM symbols of the SSB subcarriers and can occupy 240 subcarriers or 20 PRB subcarriers (e.g., n = 20). The PBCH 205 can also occupy 48 subcarriers or 12 PRB subcarriers (e.g., x = 4) on both sides of the SSS 215. There can be unused subcarriers shown as z1 and z2 in FIG. 2A between the PBCH 205 and the SSS 215. In an exemplary implementation, z1 can be 8 subcarriers and z2 can be 9 subcarriers. In the example shown in FIG. 2A, x + z1 + y + z2 + x = n (e.g., 48 + 8 + 127 + 9 + 48 = 240 (or 20 PRBs)). Different numbers (e.g., the values of n, x, y, z1, and z2) can be used for the SSB subcarriers.

[0029] Exemplary implementations can relate to narrowband new radio operation (NB NR) or NR support for dedicated spectrum below 5 MHz. This is a newly emerging scenario driven, for example, by future railway communications, smart grid operators, public safety, etc. Exemplary implementations can target the use of NR with a spectrum allocation of 3 - 5 MHz. In other words, exemplary implementations can enable 5G NR operation with a bandwidth narrower than the originally designed 5 MHz channel (e.g., up to 3 MHz). For example, the deployment of NR in the 900 MHz FRMCS (next-generation railway mobile communication system) band can be carried out together with a conventional GSM-R carrier within a bandwidth of 5.6 MHz that permits only about 3.6 MHz to be used for NR. Similarly, there are several cases where only a 3 MHz channel is available for NR. Signals and channels transmitted by an NR base station (gNB), and more particularly, the signals and channels of the synchronization signal and PBCH block (SSB), were not designed for transmission in such narrow channels. However, the x PRBs shown in FIG. 2A (e.g., the four PRBs on both sides of SSS215, PSS210, and the corresponding PRBs of PBCH205) can be used (e.g., using puncturing) to provide NR support for dedicated spectrum below 5 MHz. In an exemplary implementation, asymmetric puncturing can be used such that different numbers of PRBs (e.g., one and four, two and three, three and two, and four and one PRBs) are punctured on both sides of SSS215, PSS210 (e.g., 15 PRBs are used for puncturing).

[0030] After detecting the PSS and SSS, in addition to the physical cell ID, the UE can determine the slot timing and symbol timing within a 5 ms half-frame. Thereafter, the UE can determine the resource elements for the PBCH DMRS and the data to receive the PBCH payload. The PBCH carries a master information block (MIB) that signals system information related to the frequency position (SSB frequency region allocation related to the common resource block (CRB) grid) and timing (half-frame timing and frame timing). This information is included in the upper layer payload (i.e., MIB) as part of the physical layer bits within the transport block payload or in the DMRS.

[0031] After the UE detects the PSS and SSS and demodulates the PBCH, the UE can read the configuration index from the PBCH / MIB. The configuration index can refer to a CORESET (e.g., CORESET#0) configuration table and can refer to time and frequency resource allocation parameters. One of the parameters defines the RB offset between the first PRB of the CORESET and the first PRB where the first sub-carrier of the SSB sub-carriers is located (the SSB is in the same sub-carrier raster as the CORESET but not necessarily in the same RB raster). Different puncturing patterns can be applied to the SSB (described below with respect to Figure 3). For example, different puncturing patterns can depend on the RF channel and / or the synchronization raster point.

[0032] The problem could be that due to the puncturing pattern, there may be available partial CCEs at both ends of CORESET#0. Channel estimation may be affected by the partial CCEs due to the low possibility of noise averaging. PDCCH can be applied to only one DMRS port. In some implementations, transmit diversity can be provided using precoder cycling (e.g., implemented by the gNB). For example, in precoder cycling, the gNB can change the phase of the Tx antennas (relative to each other) along with the granularity of the CCEs. Thus, PDCCH channel estimation can be performed separately for each CCE. In other words, there is no phase continuity between CCEs, and thus the channels can be uncorrelated between CCEs. In addition, the UE can filter (or average) the channel estimation values within one CCE. This can lead to a performance degradation in the detection and decoding of PDCCH. Therefore, there may be a certain degree of performance degradation (compared to the case without puncturing). As a solution, exemplary implementations propose a signaling mechanism for the allocation of CORESET#0 and the corresponding UE operation such that the partial CCEs associated with different puncturing patterns are avoided.

[0033] In an exemplary implementation, the UE can demodulate and decode the PBCH (e.g., PBCH205), assuming 12 PRBs. This can mean that the UE assumes only 12 complete PRBs that overlap with the PSS in the frequency domain, the SSS is valid for the demodulation and decoding of the PBCH, while the presence of other PRBs is unknown and thus not assumed. A pre-defined synchronization raster point or a specific RF channel can be used to trigger the UE's new offset and CORESET allocation determination operations. FIGS. 2A - 2D can be used to illustrate an exemplary implementation for determining the CORESET (e.g., CORESET#0) frequency position in the SSB sub-carriers such that partial CCEs associated with different puncturing patterns are avoided. This technique can be triggered based on a radio frequency (RF) channel and / or a pre-defined synchronization raster point.

[0034] Figure 2B is a block diagram showing resource block offsets within a punctured synchronization signal block according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown in Figure 2B, the SSB subcarriers include punctured PRBs 220, 225 on both sides of the PSS 210 and the SSS 215. The punctured PRBs 220, 225 include puncturing the PBCH 205. The SSB includes a resource block (RB) offset 235 that can be the difference between the lower end of the PSS / SSS 210 / 215 and the lower end of the CORESET 230 (e.g., CORESET #0). The RB offset can be derived from the transmitted offset and PBCH parameters (e.g., k_SSB) based on Table 1. The end point of the valid PRBs in frequency can be the right end of the SSS 215 and the complete CCE. In other words, the end points are 15 PRBs including two symbols and 14 PRBs including three symbols. Thus, partial CCEs at the end of the CORESET can be avoided. The RB offset 245 can also exist between the lower end of the CORESET 230 and the lower end of the PRB where the first unused subcarrier of the PSS / SSS is located. In other words, the frequency domain offset between the first subcarrier of the CORESET 230 and the first used subcarrier of the SSS 215 can be the RB offset 245 + SC offset + eight unused subcarriers.

[0035]

Table 1

[0036] FIG. 2C is a block diagram showing the resource block offset within the punctured synchronization signal block according to an embodiment example. As shown in FIG. 2C, the SSB subcarriers include the punctured PRBs 220, 225 on both sides of the PSS 210 and the SSS 215. The punctured PRBs 220, 225 include puncturing the PBCH 205. The SSB subcarriers can include an RB offset 240 that is the difference between the lower end of the virtual non-punctured SSB subcarrier and the lower end of the CORESET by using the existing offset and PBCH parameters (e.g., k_SSB). The RB offset can be derived from the offset and PBCH parameters (e.g., k_SSB) for which the signal is transmitted based on Table 2. The end point of the effective PRB in frequency can be the right end of the SSS 215 and the complete CCE. In other words, the end point is the number of symbols in the time domain and is the CORESET size of 15 PRBs including two symbols and 14 PRBs including three symbols. Therefore, partial CCEs can be avoided.

[0037]

Table 2

[0038] Figure 2D is a block diagram showing the resource block offset within the punctured synchronization signal block according to an embodiment example. As shown in Figure 2D, the SSB subcarriers include the punctured PRBs 220, 225 on both sides of the PSS 210 and the SSS 215. The punctured PRBs 220, 225 include puncturing the PBCH 205. The SSB subcarriers include an RB offset 250 which can be the difference between the lower end of the PSS / SSS 210 / 215 and the lower end of the CORESET 230 (e.g., CORESET #0). The RB offset can be derived from the index signaled within the PBCH MIB based on Table 3. The end point of the effective PRBs in frequency can be the right end of the SSS 215 and the complete CCE. In other words, the end point is in the symbols of the time domain and is the CORESET size of 15 PRBs including two symbols and 14 PRBs including three symbols. Thus, partial CCEs can be avoided.

[0039]

Table 3

[0040] The advantages of the technology described with respect to Figures 2A - 2D can include, at least, an efficient process for configuring a CORESET (e.g., CORESET #0) when the SSB subcarriers need to be punctured to avoid partial CCEs. This can improve the reception performance of Type0-PDCCH. The simple implementation of the UE by providing a new interpretation of the signaled offset and PBCH parameters supports a flexible frequency position of the CORESET (e.g., CORESET #0) with respect to the PSS / SSS and the punctured PBCH, while being able to allocate a CORESET including complete CCEs.

[0041] In the NR system, the 3 MHz allocation can include a channel bandwidth of up to 15 PRBs (assuming, for example, a 90% spectrum utilization). Therefore, five PRB punctures of the SSB may be required. According to an exemplary implementation, the PSS / SSS should remain unaffected, and the puncture should be applied only to the PBCH portion of the SSB. Therefore, a maximum of four PRB punctures can be used on both sides. In other words, the applicable puncture patterns can be 1+4, 2+3, 3+2, 4+1 (for example, the low-frequency side and the high-frequency side of the PSS / SSS), as shown in FIG. 3.

[0042] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the puncture pattern of the SSB according to an exemplary embodiment where 15 PRBs are available. As shown in FIG. 3, the SSB can include 20 PRBs. In the first SSB puncture pattern 305, five PRBs 330, 335 are punctured. In the first SSB puncture pattern 305, the PRB 325 can be the PRB to be transmitted (including, for example, the PSS, SSS, and / or PBCH). On both sides of the transmitted PRB 325, there are punctured PRBs 330, 335. In the first SSB puncture pattern 305, the pattern can include four punctured PRBs 330 on the first side of the transmitted PRB 325 and one punctured PRB 335 on the second side of the transmitted PRB 325, without affecting the 15 PRBs and keeping them actually available.

[0043] In the second SSB puncturing pattern 310, five PRBs 330, 335 are punctured. In the second SSB puncturing pattern 310, the PRB 325 can be the PRB to be transmitted (e.g., the PRB including PSS, SSS, and / or PBCH). On both sides of the transmitted PRB 325, there are punctured PRBs 330, 335. In the second SSB puncturing pattern 310, the pattern can include three punctured PRBs 330 on the first side of the transmitted PRB 325 and two punctured PRBs 335 on the second side of the transmitted PRB 325, without affecting 15 PRBs and keeping them actually available.

[0044] In the third SSB puncturing pattern 315, five PRBs 330, 335 are punctured. In the third SSB puncturing pattern 315, the PRB 325 can be the PRB to be transmitted (e.g., the PRB including PSS, SSS, and / or PBCH). On both sides of the transmitted PRB 325, there are punctured PRBs 330, 335. In the third SSB puncturing pattern 315, the pattern can include two punctured PRBs 330 on the first side of the transmitted PRB 325 and three punctured PRBs 335 on the second side of the transmitted PRB 325, without affecting 15 PRBs and keeping them actually available.

[0045] In the fourth SSB puncture pattern 320, five PRBs 330, 335 are punctured. In the fourth SSB puncture pattern 320, the PRB 325 can be the PRB to be transmitted (for example, the PRB including PSS, SSS, and / or PBCH). On both sides of the transmitted PRB 325, there are punctured PRBs 330, 335. In the fourth SSB puncture pattern 320, the pattern can include one punctured PRB 330 on the first side of the transmitted PRB 325 and four punctured PRBs 335 on the second side of the transmitted PRB 325, without affecting 15 PRBs and leaving them actually available. Using the above techniques for determining the RB offset and the CORESET frequency position, any of the SSB puncture patterns 305, 310, 315, 320 can be used, and partial CCEs can be avoided.

[0046] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a method for determining an initial bandwidth portion according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, in step S405, PSS and / or SSS are detected at a synchronization raster point or on an RF channel. For example, the synchronization raster can indicate the frequency positions of synchronization blocks that can be used by a UE for system acquisition. The synchronization raster can be defined for each band, which is a subset of the SSB frequencies. The synchronization raster can define the mapping of nPRB = 10 of the SSB. The RF channel can be based on the ciphering of the SSB and / or the bandwidth. In an exemplary implementation, the techniques described herein can be triggered based on a synchronization raster point or an RF channel. PSS (for example, PSS 210) and / or SSS (for example, SSS 215) can be detected and / or read in the SSB associated with the synchronization raster point or the RF channel.

[0047] In step S410, based on the PSS and / or SSS, the 12 PRBs at the center of the PBCH are determined. For example, the 12 PRBs at the center of the PBCH (e.g., PBCH205) can be centered at the frequency in the PSS and / or SSS. However, the PSS and / or SSS can be associated with 127 sub - carriers (or 10 PRBs), and the 12 PRBs of the PBCH SSS can be associated with 144 sub - carriers. Therefore, the PRBs of the PBCH that match the PSS and / or SSS can be extended by only one PRB in each direction so as to include the 12 PRBs at the center of the PBCH.

[0048] In step S415, the PBCH is demodulated and decoded. For example, the demodulation can be OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) demodulation. QAM demodulation reproduces a bit stream from each sub - carrier, and then this bit stream is multiplexed (MUX) to recreate the original single data stream. Decoding the PBCH can include decoding the re - created data stream. In an exemplary implementation, decoding the PBCH includes identifying and reading the master information block (MIB).

[0049] In step S420, the offset and PBCH parameters (e.g., k_SSB) are read from the MIB within the PBCH. For example, the offset can be included in a field of the MIB. This field can be the ssb - SubcarrierOffset field. The offset can be an integer (e.g., 0,..., 15). The PBCH parameter can be k_SSB. k_SSB can be used to set the sub - carrier offset between the first sub - carrier of the SS / PBCH and the last sub - carrier of the RB offset (15kHz|60kHz). k_SSB can be an integer (e.g., 0,..., 23).

[0050] In step S425, it is determined whether the offset is between the lower end of the SSS and the lower end of the CORESET from the offset and PBCH parameters to be signaled. For example, referring to FIGS. 2B and 2D, it is determined whether the offset can be offset 235.

[0051] In step S430, the number of symbols of the CORESET is read from the MIB. For example, a field in the MIB can indicate the number of symbols of the CORESET (e.g., CORESET #0). This field can be pdcch-ConfigSIB1. pdcch-ConfigSIB1 can be an integer (e.g., 0,..., 255). pdcch-ConfigSIB1 can be used as an index to a row in a pre-defined table to determine the bandwidth of the PDCCH / SIB, the CORESET, and / or the common search space, as well as the required PDCCH parameters.

[0052] In step S435, the first 5 CCEs valid for the CORESET are determined, or in step S440, the first 7 CCEs valid for the CORESET are determined. For example, if it is shown that the CORESET is 2 symbols, step S435 is executed and the first 5 CCEs valid for the CORESET are determined. If it is shown that the CORESET is 3 symbols, step S440 is executed and the first 7 CCEs valid for the CORESET are determined. The CCEs are described in more detail above.

[0053] In step S445, the initial bandwidth part (BWP) is determined as 15 physical resource blocks (PRBs) starting from the lower end of the CORESET. The BWP can be a continuous set of physical resource blocks selected from a set of common resource blocks of a specific numerology (μ) on a specific carrier. The initial BWP can be used by the UE for initial cell selection. The initial BWP can include parameters such as the Remaining Minimum System Information (RMSI), the CORESET, and the RMSI frequency position / bandwidth / subcarrier spacing (SCS).

[0054] (Embodiment 1) FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a method for determining the control resource set (CORESET) frequency position from a synchronization signal block punctured by a user equipment according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, in step S505, a resource block (RB) offset allocation determination is triggered. In step S510, at least one of the primary synchronization signal (PSS) and the secondary synchronization signal (SSS) is detected within the received synchronization signal (SS) block (SSB). In step S515, the physical broadcast channel (PBCH) parameters and the transmitted offset are read from the master information block (MIB) of the PBCH of the SSB. In step S520, the RB offset is determined based on the PBCH parameters and the transmitted offset. In step S525, the control resource set (CORESET) frequency position is determined based on the RB offset.

[0055] (Embodiment 2) The method of Embodiment 1, where the PBCH parameter can be the subcarrier offset (k_SSB).

[0056] (Embodiment 3) The method of Embodiment 1, where the trigger for the RB offset allocation determination can be based on a predefined synchronization raster point.

[0057] (Embodiment 4) The method of Example 1, wherein the trigger for RB offset assignment can be based on a radio frequency (RF) channel.

[0058] (Example 5) The method of Example 1, wherein the RB offset can be the difference between the lower end of one of the PSS or SSS and the lower end of the CORESET.

[0059] (Example 6) The method of Example 1, wherein the RB offset can be the difference between the lower end of the SSB and the lower end of the CORESET.

[0060] (Example 7) The method of Example 1, wherein the PBCH parameter can be k_SSB, and the RB offset can be determined using a table that includes k_SSB and the offset at which the signal is transmitted.

[0061] (Example 8) The method of Example 1, wherein the RB offset can be determined using a table that includes the index transmitted in the MIB.

[0062] (Example 9) The method of Example 1, wherein the SSB can include at least one physical resource block (PRB) that is punctured.

[0063] (Example 10) The method of Example 1, wherein the SSB can include 5 PRBs that are punctured, and at least one PRB is punctured on both sides of the PBCH.

[0064] (Example 11) The method of Example 1, wherein the SSB can be a punctured SSB, and the determined CORESET frequency position can be aligned at least one of the following in frequency: the lower end of the CORESET can be aligned with the lower end of the punctured SSB; the CCE boundary of the CORESET can be aligned with the lower end of the punctured SSB; or the CCE boundary of the CORESET can be aligned with the upper end of the punctured SSB.

[0065] (Example 12) The method of Example 1, which can further include monitoring, by the UE, Type0_PDCCH from the determined CORESET.

[0066] (Example 13) The method of Example 1, which can further include receiving, by the UE, a PDSCH based on the detected PDCCH in response to detecting the PDCCH of SIB1.

[0067] (Example 14) FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a method for transmitting a synchronized signal block punctured by a network device according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6, at step S605, a control resource set (CORESET) frequency position is determined based on a physical resource block (PRB) puncturing pattern. At step S610, a resource block (RB) offset is determined based on the CORESET position. At step S615, physical broadcast channel (PBCH) parameters configured to indicate the RB offset within the master information block (MIB) of the PBCH of the synchronization signal (SS) block (SSB) and the offset to be signaled are signaled. At step S620, the SSB is transmitted.

[0068] (Example 15) The method of Example 14, wherein the PBCH parameter can be a subcarrier offset (k_SSB).

[0069] (Example 16) The method of Example 14, wherein the RB offset can be the difference between the lower end of one of the primary synchronization signal (PSS) or the secondary synchronization signal (SSS) and the lower end of the CORESET.

[0070] (Example 17) The method of Example 14, wherein the RB offset can be the difference between the lower end of the SSB and the lower end of the CORESET.

[0071] (Example 18) The method of Example 14, wherein the PBCH parameter can be k_SSB, and the RB offset can be determined using a table including k_SSB and the offset to be signaled.

[0072] (Example 19) The method of Example 14, wherein the RB offset can be determined using a table including the index signaled in the MIB.

[0073] (Example 20) The method of Example 14, wherein the SSB can include at least one physical resource block (PRB) that is punctured.

[0074] (Example 21) The method of Example 14, wherein the SSB can include 5 punctured PRBs, and at least one PRB is punctured on both sides of the PBCH.

[0075] (Example 22) The method of Example 14, wherein the determined CORESET frequency position can be aligned at least one of: at the frequency where the lower end of the CORESET is aligned with the lower end of the punctured SSB, where the CCE boundary of the CORESET is aligned with the lower end of the punctured SSB, or where the CCE boundary of the CORESET is aligned with the upper end of the punctured SSB.

[0076] (Example 23) A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing stored instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, are configured to cause a computing system to execute any of the methods of Examples 1-22.

[0077] (Example 24) An apparatus comprising means for executing any of the methods of Examples 1-22.

[0078] (Example 25) An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory containing computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to cause the apparatus, together with the at least one processor, to at least execute any of the methods of Examples 1-22.

[0079] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a wireless station 700 or a wireless node or network node 700 according to an embodiment. The wireless node or wireless station or network node 700 may include, according to an embodiment, for example, one or more of an AP, BS, gNB, RAN node, relay node, UE or user device, network node, network entity, DU, CU-CP, CU-UP,... or other nodes.

[0080] The wireless station 700 may include, for example, one or more (e.g., two as shown in FIG. 7) radio frequency (RF) or wireless transceivers 702A, 702B, each wireless transceiver including a transmitter for transmitting signals and a receiver for receiving signals. The wireless station also includes a processor or control unit / entity (controller) 704 for executing instructions or software and controlling the transmission and reception of signals, and a memory 706 for storing data and / or instructions.

[0081] Processor 704 may perform determinations or decisions, generate frames, packets, or messages for transmission, decode received frames or messages for further processing, and perform other tasks or functions described herein. Processor 704, which may be a baseband processor, may generate, for example, messages, packets, frames, or other signals for transmission via wireless transceiver 702 (702A or 702B). Processor 704 may control the transmission of signals or messages over a wireless network and may control the reception of signals or messages, such as those received over a wireless network (e.g., after being downconverted by wireless transceiver 702). Processor 704 may be programmable to perform various tasks and functions described above, such as one or more of the tasks or methods described above, and may execute software or other instructions stored in memory or other computer media. Processor 704 may be, for example, hardware, a programmable processor that executes programmable logic, software, or firmware, and / or any combination thereof (or may include these). Using other terms, processor 704 and transceiver 702 may be regarded as, for example, a wireless transmitter / receiver system together.

[0082] In addition, referring to FIG. 7, controller (or processor) 708 may execute software and instructions, may perform overall control of wireless station 700, may control other systems not shown in FIG. 7, such as controlling input / output devices (e.g., a display, a keypad), and / or may execute software for one or more applications that may be provided on wireless station 700, such as, for example, an email program, a voice / video application, a word processor, a voice over IP application, or other applications or software.

[0083] Additionally, a storage medium containing stored instructions may be provided, which, when executed by a controller or processor, may cause processor 704 or another controller or processor to perform one or more of the aforementioned functions or tasks.

[0084] According to another example embodiment, RF or wireless transceiver 702A / 702B may receive and / or transmit signals or data. Processor 704 (and optionally transceiver 702A / 702B) may control RF or wireless transceiver 702A or 702B to receive, transmit, or broadcast signals or data.

[0085] However, the example embodiments are not limited to the systems given as examples, and those skilled in the art may apply the solutions to other communication systems. Another example of a suitable communication system is a 5G system. The network architecture in 5G is thought to be quite similar to the network architecture of LTE-Advanced. 5G is likely to use multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas, more base stations or nodes than LTE (the so-called small cell concept), include macro sites operating in cooperation with smaller base stations, and probably also adopt various radio technologies for better coverage and improved data rates.

[0086] It should be understood that future networks are likely to utilize network functions virtualization (NFV), which is a concept of network architecture that proposes virtualizing the functions of network nodes into "building blocks" or entities that can be operably connected or linked together to provide services. A virtualized network function (VNF) may include one or more virtual machines that execute computer program code using standard or common types of servers instead of customized hardware. Cloud computing or data storage may be utilized. In wireless communications, this may mean that the operation of the node can be at least partially executed at a server, host, or node operably coupled to a remote radio head. It is also possible for the operation of the node to be distributed among multiple servers, nodes, or hosts. It should also be understood that the distribution of work between the operation of the core network and the operation of the base station may be different from or even non-existent compared to the distribution of work in LTE.

[0087] Embodiment examples of the various techniques described in this specification may be implemented in digital electronic circuits, or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or combinations thereof. Embodiment examples may be implemented as a computer program product, i.e., a computer program tangibly embodied in an information medium (e.g., a machine-readable storage device) or a propagated signal for execution by, or to control the operation of, a data processing apparatus (e.g., a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple computers). Embodiments may be provided on a computer-readable medium or computer-readable storage medium, which may be a non-transitory medium. Embodiment examples of the various techniques may include embodiments provided via a transitory signal or medium, and / or program and / or software embodiments downloadable via the Internet or other networks (either a wired network and / or a wireless network). Additionally, embodiments may be provided via machine type communication (MTC) and may be provided via the Internet of Things (IoT).

[0088] The computer program may be in the form of source code, object code, or some intermediate form, and may be stored in some carrier, distribution medium, or computer-readable medium that may be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. Such carriers include, for example, recording media, computer memory, read-only memory, optoelectronic and / or electrical carrier signals, electrical communication signals, and software distribution packages. Depending on the required processing capabilities, the computer program may be executed in a single electronic digital computer or may be distributed among multiple computers.

[0089] Furthermore, embodiments of the various techniques described herein may use a cyber - physical system (CPS), a system of computing elements that work together to control physical entities. CPS may enable the implementation and utilization of a vast amount of interconnected ICT devices (such as sensors, actuators, processors, microcontrollers, etc.) incorporated into objects at various locations. A mobile cyber - physical system, where the physical system has a particular mobility, is a sub - category of cyber - physical systems. Examples of mobile physical systems include mobile robotics and electronic devices carried by humans or animals. The increasing popularity of smartphones has led to a growing interest in the area of mobile cyber - physical systems. Thus, various embodiments of the techniques described herein may be provided via one or more of these technologies.

[0090] Computer programs such as the aforementioned computer programs can be described in any form of programming language, including compiler - type languages or interpreter - type languages, and can be deployed in any form, as a stand - alone program suitable for use in a computing environment or in the form of a module, component, sub - routine, or other unit or part thereof. The computer program can be located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and deployed to be executed on one computer or multiple computers interconnected by a communication network.

[0091] One or more programmable processors executing a computer program or a part of a computer program may perform the method steps in order to perform a function by operating on input data and generating an output. For example, the method steps may be performed by a dedicated logic circuit such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), and an apparatus may be implemented as such a dedicated logic circuit.

[0092] Examples of processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include both general-purpose and special-purpose microprocessors, as well as any one or more processors of any kind of digital computer, chip, or chip set. Usually, a processor receives instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both. The elements of a computer may include at least one processor for executing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. Usually, a computer includes or is operatively coupled to receive or transfer data to one or more mass storage devices (e.g., magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks) for storing data, or both. Information media suitable for embodying computer program instructions and data include, for example, all forms of non-volatile memory such as semiconductor memory devices (e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices), magnetic disks (e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks), magneto-optical disks, and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and the memory may be supplemented by, or incorporated in, a dedicated logic circuit.

[0093] To provide interaction with a user, embodiments may be implemented on a computer that includes a display device, such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) or liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor, for displaying information to the user, and a user interface such as a keyboard and a pointing device (e.g., a mouse or trackball) that can be used by the user to provide input to the computer. Other types of devices may also be used to provide interaction with the user. For example, the feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback (e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback), and the input received from the user can be in any form including acoustic input, voice input, or tactile input.

[0094] Example embodiments may be implemented in a computing system that includes back-end components, such as a data server, or includes middleware components, such as an application server, or includes front-end components (e.g., a client computer that includes a graphical user interface or a web browser through which a user can interact with the embodiment), or in any combination of such back-end components, middleware components, or front-end components. The components may be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication (e.g., a communication network). Examples of communication networks include local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs) (e.g., the Internet).

[0095] As described herein, while specific features of the described embodiments have been illustrated, those skilled in the art will now conceive of many modifications, alternatives, variations, and equivalents. Accordingly, it should be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and variations as falling within the true spirit of the various embodiments.

Claims

1. Detecting, by a user equipment (UE), a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) in a synchronization signal (SSB) of a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) that is punctured in the frequency domain; reading, by the UE, physical broadcast channel (PBCH) parameters and signaled indices from a master information block (MIB) of the punctured PBCH; determining, by the UE, a resource block (RB) offset between the frequency location of the SSB of the UE and the frequency location of a control resource set (CORESET) based on the PBCH parameters and the signaled index; and determining, by the UE, the frequency location of the CORESET based on the RB offset.

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the PBCH parameter is a subcarrier offset (k_SSB).

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising triggering an RB offset allocation decision by the UE.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the trigger for the RB offset allocation decision is based on a predefined synchronization raster point.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the trigger for the RB offset allocation decision is based on a radio frequency (RF) channel.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the RB offset is the difference between a lower end of one of the PSS or the SSS and a lower end of the CORESET.

7. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the RB offset is the difference between the lower end of the SSB and the lower end of the CORESET.

8. the PBCH parameter is k_SSB, 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the RB offset is determined using a table containing the k_SSB and the signaled index.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the RB offset is determined using a table containing the signaled index in the MIB.

10. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the SSB includes at least one physical resource block (PRB) that is punctured.

11. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the SSB includes five punctured PRBs, with at least one PRB being punctured on each side of the PBCH.

12. the SSB is a punctured SSB, The determined frequency location of the CORESET is, in frequency, the bottom edge of the CORESET is aligned with the bottom edge of the punctured SSB, or the CCE boundary of the CORESET is aligned with the bottom edge of the punctured SSB, or the CCE boundary of the CORESET is aligned with the upper end of the punctured SSB; 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the punctured SSBs are aligned according to at least one of:

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: monitoring, by the UE, a Type 0 PDCCH from the determined CORESET.

14. The method of any of claims 1 to 13, further comprising, in response to detecting a PDCCH for SIB1, receiving, by the UE, a PDSCH based on the detected PDCCH.

15. determining, by a network device, a frequency location of a control resource set (CORESET) based on a physical resource block (PRB) puncture pattern; determining, by the network device, a resource block (RB) offset between the frequency location of the UE's SSB and the frequency location of a control resource set (CORESET) based on the frequency location of the CORESET; signaling, by the network device, PBCH parameters and signaled indices configured to indicate the RB offset in a Master Information Block (MIB) of a PBCH being punctured in the frequency domain; and communicating, by the network device, the SSB, wherein the SSB includes a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) of the punctured PBCH.

16. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the PBCH parameter is a subcarrier offset (k_SSB).

17. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the RB offset is the difference between a lower end of one of the PSS or the SSS and a lower end of the CORESET.

18. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the RB offset is the difference between the lower end of the SSB and the lower end of the CORESET.

19. the PBCH parameter is k_SSB, 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the RB offset is determined using a table containing the k_SSB and the signaled index.

20. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the RB offset is determined using a table containing the signaled index in the MIB.

21. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the SSB includes at least one PRB that is punctured.

22. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the SSB comprises five punctured PRBs, with at least one PRB being punctured on each side of the PBCH.

23. The determined frequency location of the CORESET is, in frequency, the bottom edge of the CORESET is aligned with the bottom edge of the punctured SSB, or the CCE boundary of the CORESET is aligned with the bottom edge of the punctured SSB, or the CCE boundary of the CORESET is aligned with the upper end of the punctured SSB; The method according to any of claims 15 to 22, wherein the punctured SSBs are aligned according to at least one of:

24. means for detecting a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) in a synchronization signal (SSB) of a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) that has been punctured in the frequency domain; means for reading physical broadcast channel (PBCH) parameters and signaled indices from a master information block (MIB) of the punctured PBCH; means for determining a resource block (RB) offset between the frequency location of the SSB of the device and the frequency location of a control resource set (CORESET) based on the PBCH parameters and the signaled index; and means for determining the frequency location of the CORESET based on the RB offset.

25. 25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the PBCH parameter is a subcarrier offset (k_SSB).

26. 25. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising means for triggering a resource block (RB) offset assignment decision.

27. 27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the trigger for the RB offset allocation decision is based on a predefined synchronization raster point.

28. 27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the trigger for the RB offset assignment decision is based on a radio frequency (RF) channel.

29. 25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the RB offset is the difference between a lower end of one of the PSS or the SSS and a lower end of the CORESET.

30. 25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the RB offset is the difference between a lower end of the SSB and a lower end of the CORESET.

31. the PBCH parameter is k_SSB, 25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the RB offset is determined using a table containing the k_SSB and the signaled index.

32. 25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the RB offset is determined using a table containing the signaled index in the MIB.

33. 25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the SSB includes at least one physical resource block (PRB) that is punctured.

34. 25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the SSB includes five punctured PRBs, with at least one PRB being punctured on either side of the PBCH.

35. the SSB is a punctured SSB, The determined frequency location of the CORESET is, in frequency, the bottom edge of the CORESET is aligned with the bottom edge of the punctured SSB, or the CCE boundary of the CORESET is aligned with the bottom edge of the punctured SSB, or the CCE boundary of the CORESET is aligned with the upper end of the punctured SSB; 25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the punctured SSBs are aligned according to at least one of:

36. The apparatus of claim 24 , further comprising: monitoring, by the UE, a Type 0_PDCCH from the determined CORESET.

37. 25. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising, in response to detecting a PDCCH for SIB1, receiving, by the UE, a PDSCH based on the detected PDCCH.

38. An apparatus according to any of claims 24 to 37, wherein the apparatus is a user equipment or is included in the user equipment.

39. means for determining a frequency location of a control resource set (CORESET) based on a physical resource block (PRB) puncture pattern; means for determining a resource block (RB) offset between the frequency location of the UE's SSB and the frequency location of a control resource set (CORESET) based on the frequency location of the CORESET; means for signaling PBCH parameters and signaled indices configured to indicate the RB offset within a Master Information Block (MIB) of a PBCH being punctured in the frequency domain; and means for communicating the SSB by the network device, the SSB including a Primary Synchronization Signal (PSS) and a Secondary Synchronization Signal (SSS) of the punctured PBCH.

40. 40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the PBCH parameter is a subcarrier offset (k_SSB).

41. 40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the RB offset is the difference between a lower end of one of the PSS or the SSS and a lower end of the CORESET.

42. 40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the RB offset is the difference between a lower end of the SSB and a lower end of the CORESET.

43. the PBCH parameter is k_SSB, 40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the RB offset is determined using a table containing the k_SSB and the signaled index.

44. 40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the RB offset is determined using a table containing the signaled index in the MIB.

45. 40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the SSB includes at least one PRB that is punctured.

46. 40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the SSB includes five punctured PRBs, with at least one PRB punctured on either side of the PBCH.

47. An apparatus according to any one of claims 39 to 46, wherein said apparatus is or is included in a network entity.

48. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing stored instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computing system to: Detecting a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) in a synchronization signal (SS) block (SSB) of a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) that is punctured in the frequency domain; reading physical broadcast channel (PBCH) parameters and signaled indices from a master information block (MIB) of the punctured PBCH; determining a resource block (RB) offset between the frequency location of the SSB of the device and the frequency location of a control resource set (CORESET) based on the PBCH parameters and the signaled index; and determining the frequency location of the CORESET based on the RB offset.

49. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing stored instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computing system to: determining a frequency location of a control resource set (CORESET) based on a physical resource block (PRB) puncture pattern; determining a resource block (RB) offset between the frequency location of the UE's SSB and the frequency location of a control resource set (CORESET) based on the frequency location of the CORESET; signaling a PBCH parameter and a signaled index configured to indicate the RB offset in a Master Information Block (MIB) of a PBCH being punctured in the frequency domain; 12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium configured to cause the network device to communicate the SSB, wherein the SSB includes a primary synchronization signal (PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) of the punctured PBCH.

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