Communication device, scheduling device, method for communication device, method for scheduling device, integrated circuit for controlling communication device, and integrated circuit for controlling scheduling device

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and communication apparatus for efficiently scheduling downlink control information (DCI) for multiple transport blocks (TBs) in a wireless communication system. [Solution] The wireless communication system includes user equipment (UE), which comprises a transceiver and a circuit. The transceiver receives downlink control information (DCI) signaling during operation. The circuit obtains an indication from the DCI signaling during operation. The indication indicates at least one of the following: scheduling of N transport blocks (TBs) (N is an integer greater than 1), scheduling of M repeated transmissions of TBs (M is 1 or greater), the interleaving pattern of the TBs, and the transmission gap between TBs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure is directed to methods, devices, and articles in communication systems such as 3GPP (registered trademark).

[0002] This disclosure relates to the transmission and reception of signals in a communication system, and more particularly, to methods and communication devices for such transmission and reception.

Background Art

[0003] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is formulating the technical specifications of next-generation cellular technologies (including New Radio (NR) radio access technology (RAT)) that operate in the frequency range up to 100 GHz and are also called the 5th generation (5G). NR is a successor to technologies represented by LTE (Long Term Evolution) and LTE-A (LTE Advanced).

[0004] In systems such as LTE and NR, through further improvements and options, the efficient operation of the communication system and specific devices related to that system can be promoted.

Prior Art Documents

Non-Patent Documents

[0005]

Non-Patent Document 1

Non-Patent Document 2

Non-Patent Document 3

Non-Patent Document 4

Non-Patent Document 5

Non-Patent Document 6

[0006] One non-limiting, exemplary embodiment contributes to providing efficient downlink control information (DCI) scheduling for multiple transport blocks (TBs) in a wireless communication system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In one embodiment, the technology disclosed herein features a device (e.g., user equipment). The device comprises a transceiver that, in operation, receives downlink control information (DCI) signaling. The device also comprises a circuit that, in operation, obtains an indication from the DCI signaling indicating the scheduling of N transport blocks (where N is an integer greater than 1). The indication further indicates at least one of the following: i) scheduling of M repeated transmissions of the TB (where M is 1 or greater), ii) the interleaving pattern of the TB, and iii) the transmission gap between the TB.

[0008] These comprehensive or specific embodiments may be implemented as a system, method, integrated circuit, computer program, or recording medium, or as any combination of a system, device, method, integrated circuit, computer program, and recording medium.

[0009] Further advantages and effects of one embodiment of this disclosure will be made apparent from the specification and drawings. Such advantages and / or effects are provided by several embodiments and features described in the specification and drawings, but not all of them are necessarily provided in order to obtain one or more identical features. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] In the following, exemplary embodiments will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings. [Figure 1] A diagram showing an example of a 3GPP NR system architecture. [Figure 2] Schematic diagram showing the functional division between NG-RAN and 5GC. [Figure 3] Sequence diagram for RRC connection setup / reconfiguration procedure [Figure 4] A schematic diagram illustrating usage scenarios for high-speed, high-capacity (eMBB: enhanced Mobile Broadband), massive simultaneous connections (mMTC: massive Machine Type Communications), and ultra-reliable and low-latency (URLLC: Ultra Reliable and Low Latency Communications). [Figure 5] Block diagram showing an example of a 5G system architecture for non-roaming. [Figure 6] Block diagram showing functional components of a base station and user equipment according to one embodiment. [Figure 7] Block diagram showing exemplary communication method steps for a UE and exemplary communication method steps for a base station. [Figure 8] Schematic diagram of exemplary scheduling of transport blocks [Figure 9] Schematic diagram of exemplary scheduling of transport blocks

Mode for carrying out the invention

[0011] <5G NR System Architecture and Protocol Stack> 3GPP is working on the next release of 5G cellular technology (also simply referred to as 5G), including the development of new radio access technology (NR) that operates in the frequency range up to 100 GHz. The first version of the 5G standard was completed at the end of 2017, which enables the trial and commercial deployment of smartphones compliant with the 5G NR standard.

[0012] In particular, the overall system architecture assumes an NG-RAN (Next Generation - Radio Access Network) with gNBs. The gNB provides the UE-side termination of the user plane (SDAP / PDCP / RLC / MAC / PHY) and control plane (RRC) protocols for NG radio access. The gNBs are interconnected by the Xn interface. Also, the gNBs are connected to the next-generation core (NGC: Next Generation Core) by the next-generation (NG: Next Generation) interface, more specifically, to the access and mobility management function (AMF: Access and Mobility Management Function. For example, a specific core entity that executes AMF) by the NG-C interface, and to the user plane function (UPF: User Plane Function. For example, a specific core entity that executes UPF) by the NG-U interface. The NG-RAN architecture is shown in FIG. 1 (see, for example, Section 4 of Non-Patent Document 1).

[0013] The NR user plane protocol stack (see, for example, section 4.4.1 of Non-Patent Document 1) includes the PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol; see section 6.4 of Non-Patent Document 1) sublayer, RLC (Radio Link Control; see section 6.3 of Non-Patent Document 1) sublayer, and MAC (Medium Access Control; see section 6.2 of Non-Patent Document 1) sublayer, which are terminated on the network side in gNB. Furthermore, a new access layer (AS: Access Stratum) sublayer (SDAP: Service Data Adaptation Protocol) is introduced above PDCP (see, for example, section 6.5 of 3GPP Non-Patent Document 1). The NR also defines a control plane protocol stack (see, for example, section 4.4.2 of Non-Patent Document 1). An overview of the Layer 2 functions is described in section 6 of Non-Patent Document 1. The functions of the PDCP sublayer, RLC sublayer, and MAC sublayer are described in sections 6.4, 6.3, and 6.2 of Non-Patent Document 1, respectively. The functions of the RRC layer are listed in Section 7 of Non-Patent Document 1.

[0014] For example, the MAC layer is responsible for scheduling and scheduling-related functions, including logical channel multiplexing and processing of various numerologies.

[0015] The physical layer (PHY) is responsible for tasks such as encoding, PHY HARQ processing, modulation, multi-antenna processing, and mapping signals to appropriate physical time-frequency resources. It also maps transport channels to physical channels. The physical layer provides services to the MAC layer in the form of transport channels. A physical channel corresponds to a set of time-frequency resources used for transmitting a particular transport channel, and each transport channel is mapped to its corresponding physical channel. For example, physical channels on the uplink are PRACH (Physical Random Access Channel), PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel), and PUCCH (Physical Uplink Control Channel), and on the downlink are PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel), PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel), and PBCH (Physical Broadcast Channel).

[0016] Use cases and deployment scenarios for NR include eMBB (enhanced Mobile Broadband), URLLC (Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications), and mMTC (massive Machine Type Communication), each with diverse requirements regarding data rate, latency, and coverage. For example, eMBB requires supporting peak data rates (20 Gbps downlink, 10 Gbps uplink) and effective (user-experienced) data rates approximately three times higher than those offered by IMT-Advanced. URLLC, on the other hand, imposes even stricter requirements for ultra-low latency (user plane latency of 0.5 ms for both UL and DL) and high reliability (1-10⁻⁵ within 1 ms). Finally, mMTC preferably requires high connectivity density (1 million devices per square kilometer in urban environments), wide coverage in harsh environments, and ultra-long-life batteries (15 years) for low-cost equipment.

[0017] Therefore, OFDM numerology suitable for one use case (e.g., subcarrier interval, OFDM symbol length, cyclic prefix (CP) length, number of symbols per scheduling interval) may not be effective for other use cases. For example, low-latency services may preferably require shorter symbol lengths (and thus larger subcarrier intervals) and / or fewer symbols per scheduling interval (in other words, fewer TTIs) than mMTC services. Furthermore, deployment scenarios with large channel delay spreads may preferably require longer CP lengths than scenarios with smaller delay spreads. To maintain similar CP overhead, the subcarrier interval needs to be optimized accordingly. NR may support multiple subcarrier interval values. Accordingly, subcarrier intervals of 15kHz, 30kHz, 60kHz, ... are currently being considered. The symbol length Tu and subcarrier interval Δf are directly related by the equation Δf = 1 / Tu. Similar to LTE systems, the term "resource element" can be used to refer to the smallest resource unit consisting of one subcarrier for the length of one OFDM / SC-FDMA symbol.

[0018] In the new wireless system 5G-NR, for each numerology and carrier, a resource grid of subcarriers and OFDM symbols is defined for the uplink and downlink respectively. Each element in the resource grid is called a resource element and is identified based on the frequency index in the frequency domain and the symbol position in the time domain (see Non-Patent Document 2, for example, Section 4). For example, uplink and downlink transmissions are organized into frames with a duration of 10 ms, and each frame consists of 10 subframes with a duration of 1 ms each. In the implementation of 5G NR, the number of consecutive OFDM symbols per subframe varies depending on the subcarrier spacing setting. For example, in the case of a 15 kHz subcarrier spacing, the subframe has 14 OFDM symbols (similar to an LTE-compliant implementation assuming a normal cyclic prefix). On the other hand, in the case of a 30 kHz subcarrier spacing, the subframe has two slots, and each slot is composed of 14 OFDM symbols.

[0019] Compared with LTE numerology (subcarrier spacing and symbol length), NR supports multiple different types of subcarrier spacings, which are labeled by the parameter μ (LTE has only a 15 kHz subcarrier spacing, which corresponds to μ = 0 in NR). The types of NR numerology are summarized in Non-Patent Document 3.

[0020] <Function split between NG-RAN and 5GC> Figure 2 shows the function split between NG-RAN and 5GC. The NG-RAN logical nodes are gNB or ng-eNB. The 5GC includes logical nodes of AMF, UPF, and SMF.

[0021] Specifically, gNB and ng-eNB provide the following main functions. · Radio resource management functions such as radio bearer control, radio admission control, connection mobility control, and dynamic resource allocation (scheduling) to the UE in both the uplink and downlink • Compression, encryption, and integrity protection of the IP header of the data. • AMF selection during UE attachment when routing to the AMF cannot be determined from the information provided by the UE. • Routing of user plane data for UPF • Routing of control plane information to AMF • Setting up and disconnecting connections • Scheduling and sending paging messages • Scheduling and transmission of system announcement information (sent from AMF or OAM) • Measurement and measurement reporting settings for mobility and scheduling • Transport-level packet marking on the uplink • Session management • Support for network slicing • QoS flow management and mapping to data radio bearers • Support for UEs in RRC_INACTIVE state • NAS message delivery function • Wireless access network sharing Dual connectivity • Close cooperation between NR and E-UTRA

[0022] The Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) provides the following key functions: • Termination of Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling • NAS signaling security • Access Layer (AS) security control • Core Network (CN) node-to-node signaling for mobility between 3GPP access networks • Reachability of the idle mode UE (including control and execution of paging retransmissions) • Registration area management • Support for intra-system and inter-system mobility • Access Authentication • Access authorization including roaming permission checks • Mobility management and control (enrollment and policies) • Support for network slicing • Session Management Function (SMF) selection

[0023] Furthermore, the User Plane Function (UPF) provides the following key features: • Anchor points for mobility within / between RATs (when applicable) • External PDU session points for interconnection with data networks • Packet routing and forwarding • Packet inspection and enforcement of policy rules in the user plane. • Reporting traffic usage • Uplink classifier that supports routing of traffic flow to the data network. • Branch point that supports multi-homed PDU sessions • QoS processing for the user plane, such as packet filtering, gating, and UL / DL (uplink / downlink) rate enhancement. • Uplink traffic verification (placement of SDF against QoS flow) • Downlink packet buffering and downlink data notification triggers

[0024] Finally, the Session Management function (SMF) provides the following main functions: • Session management • Assigning and managing IP addresses for UEs • UPF selection and control · Configuration of traffic steering in the User Plane Function (UPF) to route traffic to appropriate destinations · Enforcement of control part policies and QoS · Notification of downlink data

[0025] <RRC Connection Setup and Reconfiguration Procedures> Figure 3 shows a part of the interaction between the UE, the gNB, and the AMF (5GC entity) when the UE transitions from RRC_IDLE to RRC_CONNECTED in the NAS part (see Non-Patent Document 1).

[0026] RRC is a higher-layer signaling protocol used for configuring UEs and gNBs. Specifically, this transition involves the AMF preparing UE context data (including, for example, PDU session context, security key, UE radio capability, UE security capability, etc.) and sending it to the gNB along with an Initial Context Setup Request. The gNB then activates AS security together with the UE. This operation is performed by the gNB sending a SecurityModeCommand message to the UE, to which the UE responds with a SecurityModeComplete message. Subsequently, the gNB sends an RRCReconfiguration message to the UE, and upon receiving an RRCReconfigurationComplete from the UE, the gNB performs the reconfiguration to set up Signaling Radio Bearer 2 (SRB2) and Data Radio Bearer (DRB). In the case of a signaling-only connection, SRB2 and DRB are not configured, so the steps related to RRC reconfiguration are omitted. Finally, the gNB notifies the AMF that the configuration procedure is complete with an Initial Context Setup Response.

[0027] Therefore, this disclosure provides a fifth-generation core (5GC) entity (e.g., AMF, SMF, etc.) comprising a control circuit that establishes a next-generation (NG) connection with a gNodeB during operation, and a transmitter that sends an initial context setting message to the gNodeB via the NG connection during operation so that a signaling radio bearer between the gNodeB and the terminal (UE) is configured. Specifically, the gNodeB transmits Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling, including resource allocation setting information elements, to the UE via the signaling radio bearer. The UE then transmits an uplink or receives a downlink based on the resource allocation setting.

[0028] <IMT Usage Scenarios from 2020 Onward> Figure 4 shows some use cases for 5G NR. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project NR (3GPP NR) is considering three use cases where IMT-2020 is expected to support a wide variety of services and applications. The first phase of specification development for enhanced mobile-broadband (eMBB) has been completed. In addition to further expanding eMBB support, research into standardization for ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC) and massive machine-type communications (mMTC) is also progressing now and in the future. Figure 4 shows examples of usage scenarios expected for IMT after 2020 (see, for example, Figure 2 in Non-Patent Document 4).

[0029] URLLC use cases have stringent performance requirements for throughput, latency, and availability, and are envisioned as one of the future vertical applications enabling wireless control of industrial production and manufacturing processes, telemedicine surgery, smart grid power distribution automation, and traffic safety. The ultra-high reliability of URLLC is supported by identifying technologies that meet the requirements set out in Non-Patent Document 5. For NR URLLC in Release 15, the primary requirement is to target user plane delays of 0.5 ms for the uplink (UL) and 0.5 ms for the downlink (DL). A typical URLLC requirement for a single packet transmission is a block error rate (BLER) of 1E-5 for a 32-byte packet size when the user plane delay is 1 ms.

[0030] From a physical layer perspective, there are various ways to improve reliability. Currently, ways to improve reliability include defining a separate CQI table for URLLC, a more compact DCI format, and PDCCH iterations. However, as NR becomes more stable and advanced (in relation to the main requirements of NR URLLC), the range of possible methods for achieving ultra-high reliability may expand. Use cases specific to NR URLLC in Release 15 include augmented reality / virtual reality (AR / VR), e-health, e-safety, and mission-critical applications.

[0031] Furthermore, the technical enhancements targeted by NR URLLC are improved latency and increased reliability. Technical enhancements for latency improvement include configurable numerology, non-slot-based scheduling with flexible mapping, grant-free (configured grant) uplink, slot-level repetition on data channels, and downlink preemption. Preemption means stopping a transmission for which resources have already been allocated and using those resources for another transmission requested later that requires less latency or higher priority. Thus, transmissions that were already permitted are replaced by later transmissions. Preemption can be applied regardless of the specific service type. For example, a transmission of service type A (URLLC) may be preempted by a transmission of service type B (e.g., eMBB). Technical enhancements for increased reliability include a dedicated CQI / MCS table for target BLER 1E-5.

[0032] A key characteristic of mMTC (Massive Number of Simultaneous Connections) use cases is the extremely large number of connected devices that typically transmit relatively small amounts of data that are less susceptible to latency. Devices are required to be low-cost and have very long battery life. From a noise reduction (NR) perspective, utilizing a very narrow bandwidth is one way to enable power savings and extended battery life for the UE (Unified Element User).

[0033] As mentioned above, the scope of reliability improvements in NR is expected to broaden. One of the important requirements common to all cases, and especially required for URLLC and mMTC, is high reliability or very high reliability. Several mechanisms can be considered to improve reliability from both a radio and network perspective. In general, there are several important areas that help improve reliability. These areas include compact control channel information, data / control channel repetition, and diversity in the frequency, time, and spatial domains. These areas are generally applicable to reliability improvements regardless of the specific communication scenario.

[0034] For NR URLLC, additional use cases with more stringent requirements have been identified, such as factory automation, the transportation industry, and power distribution. The more stringent requirements are high reliability (up to 10 -6 levels), high availability, a packet size of up to 256 bytes, and time synchronization up to about a few μs. Depending on the frequency range and a short delay of about 0.5 - 1 ms (e.g., a delay of 0.5 ms in the target user plane), it can be 1 μs or a few μs.

[0035] Furthermore, in NR URLLC, several technical enhancements have been identified from the perspective of the physical layer. These include enhancements to the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) related to compact DCI, repetition of the PDCCH, and increased monitoring of the PDCCH. Also, the enhancement of Uplink Control Information (UCI) is related to the enhancement of extended Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) and CSI feedback. Enhancements to the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) related to mini - slot - level hopping and retransmission / repetition have also been identified. A "mini - slot" represents a Transmission Time Interval (TTI) that contains a smaller number of symbols than a slot (a slot composed of 14 symbols).

[0036] <QoS Control> The 5G Quality of Service (QoS) model is based on QoS flows and supports both QoS flows that require a guaranteed flow bitrate (GBR QoS flows) and QoS flows that do not require a guaranteed flow bitrate (non-GBR QoS flows). Therefore, at the NAS level, a QoS flow is the finest granularity of QoS within a PDU session. QoS flows are identified within a PDU session by a QoS flow ID (QFI) carried in the encapsulation header via the NG-U interface.

[0037] For each UE, 5GC establishes one or more PDU sessions. For each UE, NG-RAN establishes at least one Data Radio Bearer (DRB) for each PDU session, and additional DRBs for the QoS flow of that PDU session can be configured later, as described above, for example, referring to Figure 3 (when this is done is up to NG-RAN). NG-RAN maps packets belonging to different PDU sessions to different DRBs. NAS-level packet filters in the UE and 5GC associate UL packets and DL packets with QoS flows, while AS-level mapping rules in the UE and NG-RAN associate UL QoS flows and DL QoS flows with DRBs.

[0038] Figure 5 shows the non-roaming reference architecture for 5G NR (see Non-Patent Literature 6, Section 4.23). Application functions (AFs), such as external application servers hosting 5G services as illustrated in Figure 4, interact with the 3GPP core network to provide services. Examples include accessing Network Exposure Functions (NEFs) to support applications that affect traffic routing, and interacting with policy frameworks for policy control such as QoS control (see Policy Control Function (PCF)). Based on operator deployment, application functions considered trusted by the operator can interact directly with the relevant network functions. Application functions not authorized by the operator to have direct access to network functions interact with the relevant network functions using an open framework to the outside via the NEF.

[0039] Figure 5 shows further functional units of the 5G architecture, namely the Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF), Network Repository Function (NRF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), and Data Network (DN) (operator services, internet access, third-party services, etc.). All or some of the core network functions and application services may be deployed and operate on a cloud computing environment.

[0040] Therefore, in the present disclosure, in operation, in order to establish a PDU session including a radio bearer between a gNodeB and a UE according to QoS requirements, a transmitter that transmits a request including QoS requirements for at least one of URLLC, eMBB, and mMTC services to at least one of the functions of the 5GC (for example, NEF, AMF, SMF, PCF, UPF, etc.), and a control circuit that executes a service using the established PDU session in operation are provided in an application server (for example, AF of the 5G architecture).

[0041] <RRC state (RRC_Connected, RRC_Inactive)> In LTE, the RRC state machine consists of only two states: the RRC idle state (mainly characterized by high power saving, UE autonomous mobility, and no established UE connection to the core network), and the RRC connected state where the UE can transmit user plane data while mobility is network-controlled to support seamless service continuity. In relation to 5G NR, the LTE-related RRC state machine can also be extended to the inactive state, similar to NR 5G described below (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 7, Figure 4.2.1-2).

[0042] The RRC of NR 5G (see Non-Patent Document 7, Section 4) supports three states: RRC idle, RRC inactive, and RRC connected. When the RRC connection is established, the UE enters either the RRC_CONNECTED state or the RRC_INACTIVE state. Otherwise, i.e., when the RRC connection is not established, the UE is in the RRC_IDLE state. As shown in Figure 6, the following state transitions can occur. · For example, from RRC_IDLE to RRC_CONNECTED according to the "connection establishment" procedure · For example, from RRC_CONNECTED to RRC_IDLE according to the "connection release" procedure For example, follow the "connection release with suspend" procedure to change from RRC_CONNECTED to RRC_INACTIVE. For example, follow the "Resume Connection" procedure to change from RRC_INACTIVE to RRC_CONNECTED. For example, follow the "Connection Release" procedure to go from RRC_INACTIVE to RRC_IDLE (one-way).

[0043] The new RRC state, RRC Inactive, is defined for new 5G 3GPP radio technologies to provide advantages when supporting a wider range of services such as eMBB (enhanced Mobile Broadband), mMTC (massive Machine Type Communications), and URLLC (Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communications), which have significantly different requirements in terms of signaling, power saving, and latency. Therefore, the new RRC Inactive state must be designed to enable low-latency data transfer initiation, etc., while minimizing signaling, power consumption, and resource costs in the radio access network and core network.

[0044] <Bandwidth Part> NR systems support a much wider maximum channel bandwidth (e.g., several hundred MHz) than LTE's 20 MHz. LTE also supports broadband communication through carrier aggregation (CA) of component carriers up to 20 MHz. Defining a wider channel bandwidth in NR allows for dynamic allocation of frequency resources via scheduling, which can be more efficient and flexible than LTE's carrier aggregation operation, which is based on MAC control elements for activation / deactivation. Having a single broadband carrier also has the advantage of lower control overhead, as it requires only a single control signaling (carrier aggregation requires separate control signaling for each carrier being aggregated).

[0045] Furthermore, similar to LTE, NR may also support carrier aggregation or aggregation of multiple carriers via dual connectivity.

[0046] Since UEs don't always require high data rates, using a wide bandwidth can result in high idle power consumption from both RF and baseband signal processing perspectives. In this regard, the newly developed bandwidth part concept for NR provides an energy-efficient solution that supports wideband operation by offering a means to operate the UE with a narrower bandwidth than the configured channel bandwidth. Low-end terminals that cannot access the full bandwidth of NR can benefit from this.

[0047] A bandwidth part (BWP) is a subset of a cell's total bandwidth, such as the location and number of adjacent physical resource blocks (PRBs). This can be defined separately for uplinks and downlinks. Furthermore, each bandwidth part can be associated with a specific OFDM neurology, such as subcarrier spacing and cyclic prefixes. Bandwidth adaptation can be achieved, for example, by configuring a BWP(s) in the UE and informing the UE which of the configured BWPs is currently active.

[0048] For example, in 5G NR, specific BWPs are configured only for UEs in the RRC_Connected state. For instance, aside from the initial BWPs (e.g., one each for UL and DL), BWPs exist only for connected UEs. Initial DL BWPs and initial UL BWPs are configured with a minimum SI to support initial data exchange between the UE and the network during processes such as transitioning the UE from the RRC_IDLE or RRC_INACTIVE state to the RRC_CONNECTED state.

[0049] A UE can have more than two BWPs (for example, up to four BWPs per serving cell, as currently defined in NR), but a UE can only have one active DL BWP at a time.

[0050] Switching between configured BWPs can be achieved through Downlink Control Information (DCI).

[0051] For a primary cell (PCell), the initial BWP is the BWP used for initial access, and unless another initial BWP is explicitly set, the default BWP is the initial BWP. For a secondary cell (SCell), the initial BWP is always explicitly set, and a default BWP may also be set. If a serving cell has a default BWP set, when the inactive timer associated with that cell expires, the active BWP is switched to the default BWP.

[0052] Typically, downlink control information is not expected to include the BWP ID.

[0053] <Downlink Control Information (DCI)> For example, PDCCH monitoring is performed by the UE to identify and receive information for the UE, such as control information and user traffic (e.g., DCI on PDCCH and user data on PDSCH indicated by PDCCH).

[0054] Downlink control information (sometimes called Downlink Control Information DCI) serves the same purpose in 5G NR as DCI does in LTE, namely, a special set of control information for scheduling downlink data channels (such as PDSCH) or uplink data channels (such as PUSCH). In 5G NR, there are several different predefined DCI formats (see Non-Patent Literature 8, Section 7.3.1). An overview is shown in the table below. [Table 1]

[0055] The PDCCH search space is the area within the downlink resource grid (time-frequency resources) where PDCCH (DCI) can be carried. Roughly speaking, the radio resource area is used by a base station to transmit control information to one or more UEs on the downlink. The UEs perform blind decoding across the entire search space in an attempt to find the PDCCH data (DCI). Conceptually, the concept of search space in 5G NR is similar to that of LTE, although there are many differences in detail.

[0056] In 5G NR, PDCCHs are transmitted within a radio resource area called the control resource set (CORESET). In LTE, the concept of a CORESET does not explicitly exist. Instead, LTE PDCCHs use the entire carrier bandwidth in the first 1-3 OFDM symbols (4 in the narrowest bandwidth case). In contrast, NR CORESETs can exist anywhere within a slot and anywhere within the carrier's frequency range, but it is not expected that a UE would handle a CORESET outside of its active bandwidth part (BWP). A CORESET is a set of physical radio resources (e.g., a specific area on the NR downlink resource grid) and a set of parameters used to carry PDCCHs / DCIs.

[0057] Therefore, the UE monitors a set of PDCCH candidates in one or more CORESETs on the active DL BWP per activated serving cell, where PDCCH monitoring is configured using the corresponding search space set, and monitoring means decoding each PDCCH candidate according to the monitored DCI format, for example, as defined in Non-Patent Document 9, sections 10 and 11.

[0058] In short, a search space can contain multiple PDCCH candidates associated with the same aggregation level (for example, PDCCH candidates differ in terms of the DCI format they monitor). A search space set can contain multiple search spaces at different aggregation levels but be associated with the same CORESET. As mentioned above, unlike LTE where the control channel spans the entire carrier bandwidth, the bandwidth of a CORESET can be set, for example, within the active DL frequency bandwidth part (BWP). In other words, the CORESET configuration defines the frequency resources of a search space set, and by extension, the PDCCH candidates of the search spaces contained within that set. The CORESET configuration also defines the duration of a search space set, which can be 1 to 3 OFDM symbols. The start time, on the other hand, is set by the search space set configuration itself; for example, from its OFDM symbols, the UE begins monitoring the PDCCH of the set's search space. Together, the search space set configuration and the CORESET configuration provide a clear definition in the frequency and time domains regarding the UE's PDCCH monitoring requirements. Both CORESET and search space set settings can be configured semi-statically via RRC signaling.

[0059] The first CORESET, CORESET0, is provided by the master information block (MIB) as part of the initial bandwidth configuration, enabling it to receive the remaining system information and additional configuration information from the network. After connection setup, multiple, potentially overlapping, CORESETs can be configured in the UE using RRC signaling.

[0060] The network can define common and UE-specific control regions. In NR, the number of CORESETs is limited to three per BWP, including both common and UE-specific CORESETs. Assuming, for illustrative purposes, that each serving cell can be configured with four BWPs, the maximum number of CORESETs per serving cell is 12. Generally, the number of search spaces per BWP can be limited to 10, for example, as in the current NR, resulting in a maximum of 40 search spaces per BWP. Each search space is associated with a CORESET.

[0061] Since a common coreset is shared by multiple UEs within a cell, the network needs to accommodate this and coordinate with all UEs for this configuration. The common coreset can be used for random access, paging, and system information.

[0062] NR allows for flexible slot formatting for UEs through cell-specific and / or UE-specific upper-layer signaling using a semi-static downlink / uplink allocation method, or through dynamic signaling via DCI format 2_0 within a group-common PDCCH (GC-PDCCH). When dynamic signaling is configured, the UE monitors the GC-PDCCH (DCI format 2_0) which carries dynamic slot format indications (SFIs).

[0063] Generally, one or more coresets can be configured for each BWP, including both a common coreset and UE-specific coresets (for example, up to three coresets per BWP). Each coreset can have multiple search spaces, and each search space has one or more PDCCH candidates that the UE can monitor.

[0064] <Time-domain scheduling in 5G NR> In the time domain, 5G NR transmissions are organized into 10ms frames, each divided into 10 equally sized subframes of 1ms length. Each subframe is then divided into slots consisting of 14 OFDM symbols. The duration of these slots, measured in milliseconds, varies depending on the neurology. Therefore, for example, with a 15kHz subcarrier interval, an NR slot has the same structure as an LTE subframe with a typical cyclic prefix. NR subframes function as a neurology-independent time reference, which is particularly useful when multiple neurologies are mixed on the same carrier, whereas slots are typically the unit of dynamic scheduling.

[0065] The following describes the time-domain resource allocation currently implemented in the 3GPP technical specifications. The following description should be understood as a specific exemplary implementation of time-domain resource allocation, and not as the only possible time-domain resource allocation. Rather, this disclosure and solution apply in a manner that accommodates different implementations of time-domain resource allocation that may be implemented in the future. For example, the following TDRA table is based on specific parameters (e.g., five parameters), but time-domain resource allocation may also be based on a different number of parameters and / or different parameters altogether.

[0066] Time domain allocation for incoming or transmitted data is dynamically signaled in DCI, which is useful in that the portion of slots available for downlink reception or uplink transmission may differ per slot as a result of the use of dynamic TDD or the amount of resources used for uplink control signaling. The slot in which a transmission occurs is signaled as part of the time domain allocation. Downlink data is often transmitted in the same slot as the corresponding resource allocation, but this is often not the case for uplink transmissions.

[0067] When a UE is scheduled by DCI to receive a PDSCH or send a PUSCH, the DCI's Time Domain Resource Assignment (TDRA) field value indicates the row index of the Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) table. The term “table” is used herein because TDRA entries are presented as a table in the corresponding 3GPP technical specifications; however, this should be interpreted as a logical, rather non-restrictive term. Specifically, this disclosure is not limited to any particular organization, and a TDRA table can be implemented in any way as a set of parameters associated with each entry index.

[0068] For example, a row in a TDRA table indexed by DCI defines several parameters that can be used to allocate radio resources in the time domain. In the current example, the TDRA table could indicate slot offsets K0 / K2, start and length indicator SLIV, or directly start symbol S and allocation length L. Furthermore, the TDRA table could also indicate the PDSCH mapping type assumed for PDSCH reception and the dmrs-TypeA-Position parameter, which is not directly related to the scheduled time domain radio resource. The DCI time domain allocation field is used as an index to this table from which the actual time domain allocation is obtained. Thus, in such an exemplary implementation, the DCI indication of a row in the TDRA table (one value of the row index) corresponds to an indication of a specific combination of values ​​for dmrs-TypeA-Position, PDSCH mapping type, K0 value, S value, and / or L value.

[0069] There is one table for uplink scheduling grants and one table for downlink scheduling assignments. For example, you can set up 16 rows, each containing the following: • Slot offsets (K0, K2) are slots relative to the slots from which DCI was acquired. Currently, downlink slot offsets of 0-3 are possible, and uplink slot offsets of 0-7 can be used. Slot offsets can also be called the gap (e.g., time gap or slot gap) as the number of slots between the slots of the PDCCH (including K0 / K2) and the corresponding PDSCH slots scheduled by the PDCCH. • The first OFDM symbol in the slot from which data is transmitted. • Transmission duration in terms of the number of OFDM symbols in a slot. Not all combinations of start and length fit into one slot. Therefore, the start and length are encoded together to cover only valid combinations. • In the case of downlinks, the PDSCH mapping type, i.e., the DMRS location, is also part of the table. This provides greater flexibility compared to when the mapping type is shown separately.

[0070] Slot aggregation, which means configuring transmissions where the same transport block is repeated in up to 8 slots, is also possible.

[0071] The current 3GPP standard non-patent literature 10, e.g., section 5.1.2 of DL and section 6.1.2 of UL, relating to time domain scheduling, provide several default tables that can be used in that regard, for example, when there is no table set in the RRC available in the UE (e.g., pdsch-TimeDomainAllocationList in either pdsch-ConfigCommon or pdsch-Config). When these fields (e.g., pdsch-AllocationList) are defined in the RRC message, which elements are used for each PDSCH scheduling is determined by a field called time domain resource allocation (e.g., DCI1_0 and DCI1_1).

[0072] The following shows the default PDSCH time domain resource allocation A for a typical cyclic prefix. [Table 2]

[0073] As is clear from this table, the K0 value is always assumed to be 0, and the same slot downlink scheduling is actually applied.

[0074] The following shows the default PUSCH time-domain resource allocation A for a typical cyclic prefix. [Table 3]

[0075] As is clear from this table, the K2 value now depends on the parameter j shown in the following table. [Table 4]

[0076] The parameter μPUSCH sets the subcarrier spacing for PUSCH.

[0077] As is clear from the above, the TDRA tables for PUSCH and PDSCH are based on common parameters such as the PUSCH mapping type, K0 / K2 values, S value, and L value. K0 is the slot offset between the scheduling PDCCH and the scheduled PDSCH, i.e., for DL ​​scheduling. K2 is the slot offset between the scheduling PDCCH and the scheduled PUSCH, i.e., for UL scheduling. The S value in the TDRA table may indicate the position of the starting symbol of the scheduled resource within the relevant slot (this is the slot where the scheduled resource is received / sent, given by K0 / K2). The L value in the TDRA table may indicate the length of the PDSCH / PUSCH in terms of symbols / units, and / or the length of the scheduled resource in terms of symbols / units.

[0078] An example of a TDRA table configured in PDSCH's RRC is shown below, where parameter K0 varies between 0 and 4 slots. [Table 5]

[0079] In response to this, the TDRA table configured in RRC allows for up to four K0 values ​​for time slots, enabling effective scheduling of the same slot and cross-slots (i.e., DCI and corresponding resource allocation in different time slots).

[0080] In current exemplary 5G-specific implementations, the configured TDRA table is signaled within the PDSCH-related configuration via RRC (e.g., the information element PDSCH-Config in Non-Patent Document 11), and conversely, the PDSCH-related configuration may be within the information element ((BWP)-DownlinkDedicated) related to the bandwidth part. Therefore, if the TDRA table is configured at a higher layer, the TDRA table may be BWP-specific. Communication devices may use a default table or apply a TDRA table configured at a higher layer (called pdsch-TimeDomainAllocationList in either pdsch-ConfigCommon or pdsch-Config). However, this is only one possible example of the interaction between the TDRA configuration and the NR BWP concept. The present invention does not presuppose the use of BWP and is not limited to resource allocation using a TDRA table.

[0081] <Downstream Control Channel (PDCCH) Monitoring> Many functions operated by the UE include monitoring downlink control channels (such as PDCCH, see Non-Patent Document 1, Section 5.2.3) for receiving specific control information or data destined for the UE.

[0082] A non-exclusive list of these features is provided below. • Paging message monitoring function • System information acquisition function • Signaling monitoring operation for Discontinued Reception (DRX) function • Inactivity monitoring operation for discontinuous reception (DRX) function • Receive random access responses for random access functionality • Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer reordering function

[0083] As described above, PDCCH monitoring is performed by the UE to identify and receive information for the UE, such as control information and user traffic (e.g., DCI on the PDCCH and user data on the PDSCH indicated by the PDCCH).

[0084] Downlink control information (which may be called Downlink Control Information (DCI)) serves the same purpose in 5G NR as DCI does in LTE, namely, a set of special control information used to schedule downlink data channels (such as PDSCH) or uplink data channels (such as PUSCH). In 5G NR, there are several different predefined DCI formats (see Non-Patent Document 12, Section 7.3.1).

[0085] The DCI formats described above represent predetermined formats in which each piece of information is formed and transmitted. Specifically, DCI formats 0_1 and 1_1 are used to schedule PUSCH and PDSCH in a single cell, respectively.

[0086] Each of these functions, PDCCH monitoring, serves a specific purpose and is therefore initiated toward its end. PDCCH monitoring is typically controlled based on a timer operated by the UE. The timer serves the purpose of controlling PDCCH monitoring, for example, by limiting the maximum time the UE monitors the PDCCH. For example, the UE does not need to monitor the PDCCH indefinitely and may stop monitoring after a certain period to conserve power.

[0087] As mentioned above, one of the purposes of DCI on PDCCH is the dynamic scheduling of resources on downlink, uplink, and even sidelink. Specifically, several formats of DCI are provided to carry indications of resources (resource allocation, RA) assigned to a data channel for a particular user. Resource allocation may include specification of resources in the frequency domain and / or time domain.

[0088] <Terminals and base stations> In LTE and NR, a terminal, user terminal, or user device is called a user device (UE). This can be a mobile device or communication device such as a wireless phone, smartphone, tablet computer, or USB (Universal Serial Bus) stick that has the functionality of a user device. However, the term mobile device is not limited to these, and generally, a repeater can also have the functionality of such a mobile device, and a mobile device can also function as a repeater. For example, a mobile station, mobile node, user terminal, or UE is a physical entity (physical node) in a communication network. Furthermore, a communication device can be any machine-type communication device, such as an IoT device. A single node can have multiple functional entities. A functional entity refers to a software or hardware module that implements a given set of functions and / or provides a given set of functions to the same or other nodes or other functional entities in the network. A node may have one or more interfaces that connect the node to communication equipment or media that the node can communicate with. Similarly, a network entity may have logical interfaces that connect functional entities to communication equipment or media that can communicate with other functional entities or corresponding nodes.

[0089] A base station is a network node that forms part of a network providing services to, for example, a terminal. A base station is a network node or scheduling node that provides wireless access to a terminal. Communication between a terminal and a base station is typically standardized. In LTE and NR, the wireless interface protocol stack includes the physical layer, the medium access layer (MAC), and upper layers. The control plane provides the radio resource control protocol of the upper layer protocols. Through the RRC, the base station can control the configuration of a terminal, and the terminal can communicate with the base station to perform control tasks such as establishing and changing connectivity and bearers, measuring, and other functions. The term used in LTE is eNB (or eNodeB), while the term currently used in 5G NR is gNB. The terms “base station” or “radio base station” as used herein refer to a physical entity in a communication network. Like mobile stations, a base station may have several functional entities. A functional entity refers to a software or hardware module that implements a given set of functions and / or provides a given set of functions to the same or other nodes or other functional entities in the network. A physical entity performs several control tasks related to a communication device, including one or more of scheduling and configuration. Note that the functions of a base station and a communication device may be integrated within a single device. For example, a mobile terminal may also implement base station functions for other terminals. The term used in LTE is eNB (or eNodeB), while the term currently used in 5G NR is gNB.

[0090] <Terminology> The following describes UEs, base stations, and procedures, which are intended for new radio access technologies intended for 5G mobile communication systems, but which may also be used for LTE mobile communication systems. Different implementations and variations are also described. The following disclosures are facilitated by and may be based, for example, on the above discussions and findings, or at least in part thereof.

[0091] In addition, this specification employs many assumptions in order to explain the underlying principles of this disclosure in a clear and understandable manner. However, these assumptions should be understood as merely examples created herein for illustrative purposes and should not limit the scope of this disclosure.

[0092] Furthermore, while some of the terms used below, such as procedures, entities, and layers, are closely related to those used in LTE / LTE-A systems or current 3GPP 5G standardization, certain terms used in the context of new radio access technologies for the next 3GPP 5G communication systems are not yet fully determined and may ultimately change. Therefore, terms may change in the future without affecting the functionality of the embodiments. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments and the scope of their protection should not be limited to the specific terms used exemplarily herein, as there are no newer or ultimately agreed-upon terms, but rather should be understood more broadly in terms of the underlying functions and concepts of the functionality and principles of this disclosure.

[0093] <Potential for power saving> The inventors have found that power can be saved in the UE, thereby extending the battery life of the UE, particularly with respect to reduced capability NR devices (e.g., those corresponding to Release 17). Specifically, power consumption in the UE can be saved in applicable use cases (e.g., delay tolerance) by i) reducing PDCCH monitoring, such as by reducing the number of blind decoders and / or CCE limits; ii) extending the DRX for RRC inactive, idle, and / or connected states; and iii) relaxing the RRM for fixed devices.

[0094] One way to conserve UE power is to improve PDCCH monitoring and scheduling. Specifically, for UEs with frequent traffic in RRC CONNECTED mode, PDCCH-only still accounts for a large portion of the UE's power consumption. Therefore, since PDCCH-only slots without PDSCH / PUSCH scheduling can account for a large portion of the total power consumption, reducing the number of PDCCH-only slots can significantly reduce the UE's power consumption. Power consumption can be further reduced by scheduling one or more (or all) of the repeated transmit and / or receive of the TBs scheduled by the DCI using the DCI as well.

[0095] Furthermore, when specific service requirements, such as throughput, need to be met for a particular UE / service, scheduling multiple TBs may be particularly appropriate / efficient for service types that are not highly sensitive to latency. In such cases, the gNB may perform scheduling predictions, which may allow for more effective use of slots by scheduling two or more TBs into subsequent slots within a single DCI.

[0096] For simplified UEs, coverage recovery can also be an important aspect. Since certain cost / complexity reductions have been made, such as the reduction of Rx / Tx antennas, iterative data channel scheduling can be beneficial for improving coverage. Scheduling multiple TBs can enable further power consumption reductions in interaction with PDCCH monitoring reduction / adaptation, as will be further explained below.

[0097] <Embodiment> This disclosure provides techniques for multiple TB scheduling with or without repetitive transmissions that can facilitate power savings in UEs. Specifically, this disclosure addresses the design of signaling support and frameworks for multiple TB scheduling with or without repetitive transmissions. In particular, this disclosure provides a framework that can enable dynamic multiple TB scheduling with or without repetitive transmissions.

[0098] This disclosure relates to scheduling in which both scheduled devices (typically communication devices / transceiver devices) and scheduling devices (typically network nodes) are involved. Accordingly, this disclosure provides a base station and user equipment. As shown in Figure 6, the user equipment 610 and the base station 660 can communicate with each other via a radio channel in a wireless communication system. For example, the user equipment may be NR user equipment, and the base station may be a network node or scheduling node such as an NR gNB, particularly a gNB in ​​a Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) NR system.

[0099] This disclosure further provides a system including a scheduled device and a scheduling device, as well as corresponding methods and programs. An example of such a communication system is shown in Figure 6. The communication system 600 may be a wireless communication system, in particular an NR communication system, in accordance with the technical specifications of 5G. However, this disclosure is not limited to 3GPP NR and may be applied to other wireless or cellular systems such as NTN.

[0100] Figure 6 shows a general, simplified, exemplary block diagram of a user device 610 (also called a “communication device,” “terminal,” or “UE”) and a scheduling device 660, which is here exemplary envisioned to be deployed at a base station (network node) such as an eNB or gNB. However, the scheduling device can generally be a terminal in the case of a sidelink connection between two terminals. Also, particularly with regard to URLLC, eMBB, and mMTC use cases, the communication device 610 can be a sensor device, a wearable device, or a controller for a connected vehicle or automated machinery in a factory. Furthermore, the communication device 610 may function as a relay between the base station 660 and other communication devices (for example, this disclosure is not limited to communication “terminals” or user “terminals”).

[0101] The UE and eNB / gNB communicate with each other via (radio) physical channel 650 using their respective transceivers 620 (UE side) and transceiver 670 (base station side). The base station 660 and terminal 610 together form a communication system 600. The communication system 600 may further include other entities as shown in Figure 1.

[0102] As shown in Figure 6, in some embodiments, the user equipment (UE) 610 comprises a transceiver 620 which, when operating, receives downlink control information (DCI) signaling (also referred to in this disclosure as multi-TB scheduling DCI). The UE further comprises circuits 630, 635 which, when operating, obtain indications from the DCI signaling. For example, the UE may obtain indications from the DCI by analyzing the DCI and / or by extracting indications from the DCI. The indications indicate the scheduling of N transport blocks (TBs) (where N is an integer greater than 1). Furthermore, the indications indicate at least one of the following: i) scheduling of M repeated transmissions of TBs (where M is 1 or greater), ii) the interleaving pattern of the TBs, and iii) the transmission gaps between TBs.

[0103] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, in some embodiments, the base station 660 (scheduling device 660) includes circuits 680 and 685. When in operation, circuits 680 and 685 generate downlink control information (DCI) signaling (also referred to in this disclosure as multi-TB scheduling DCI). The DCI signaling may include an indication that the UE is scheduling N transport blocks (TBs) (where N is an integer greater than 1). The indication further indicates at least one of the following: i) scheduling of M repeated transmissions of TBs (where M is 1 or greater), ii) an interleaving pattern of TBs, and iii) a transmission gap between TBs. The base station 660 may further include a transceiver 670, which transmits the DCI signaling to the UE.

[0104] The communication device 610 may comprise a transceiver 620 and a (processing) circuit 630, and the scheduling device 660 may comprise a transceiver 670 and a (processing) circuit 680. By extension, the transceiver 620 may comprise a receiver and / or a transmitter, and / or function as such. In this disclosure, in other words, the term “transceiver” is used for hardware and software components that enable the communication device 610 or base station 660 to transmit and / or receive radio signals over the wireless channel 650. Thus, a transceiver corresponds to a receiver, a transmitter, or a combination of a receiver and a transmitter. Typically, it is assumed that base stations and communication devices are capable of both transmitting and receiving radio signals. However, particularly with regard to some applications of eMBB, mMTC, and URLLC (such as smart homes, smart cities, and industrial automation), there may be cases where devices such as sensors only receive signals. The term “circuit” also includes processing circuits formed by one or more processors or processing units.

[0105] Circuits 630, 680 (or processing circuits) may be one or more pieces of hardware, such as one or more processors or any LSI. There are input / output points (or nodes) between the transceiver and the processing circuit through which the processing circuit can, in operation, control the transceiver, i.e., control the receiver and / or transmitter and exchange received / transmitted data. The transceiver may include an RF (radio frequency) front, including one or more antennas, amplifiers, RF modulators / demodulators, etc., as the transmitter and receiver. The processing circuit may perform control tasks such as controlling the transceiver to transmit user data and control data provided by the processing circuit and / or to receive user data and control data that is further processed by the processing circuit. The processing circuit may also be responsible for performing other processing such as decisions, judgments, calculations, and measurements. The transmitter may be responsible for performing the transmission processing and other related processing. The receiver may be responsible for performing the reception processing and other related processing.

[0106] In response to the above-mentioned UE, a communication method performed by the UE is provided. As shown in Figure 7, this method includes a step S740 of receiving downlink control information (DCI) signaling (also referred to in this disclosure as multi-TB scheduling DCI). Furthermore, this method includes a step S750 of obtaining an indication from the DCI signaling. For example, the indication may be obtained from the DCI by parsing the DCI and / or by extracting an indication from the DCI. The indication indicates the scheduling of N transport blocks (TBs) (where N is an integer greater than 1). Furthermore, the indication indicates at least one of the scheduling of M repeated transmissions of TBs (where M is 1 or greater), the interleaving pattern of the TBs, and the transmission gap between TBs. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the UE may transmit (S760) and / or receive (S760) the scheduled transport blocks in accordance with the DCI / PDCCH scheduling.

[0107] Furthermore, corresponding to the base station described above, a communication method performed by the base station is provided. As shown in Figure 7, this method includes step S720 of generating downlink control information (DCI) signaling (also referred to in this disclosure as multi-TB scheduling DCI). The DCI signaling may include an indication that shows the scheduling of N transport blocks (TBs) to the user equipment (UE) (where N is an integer greater than 1). Furthermore, the indication shows at least one of i) the scheduling of M repeated transmissions of TBs (where M is 1 or greater), ii) the interleaving pattern of the TBs, and iii) the transmission gap between TBs. Finally, this method includes step S730 of transmitting the DCI signaling to the UE. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the base station may receive (S770) and / or transmit (S770) the scheduled transport blocks in accordance with the DCI / PDCCH scheduling.

[0108] As shown in Figure 7, the base station method may perform step S710, and the method for the base station may include step S710. In step S710, which is performed before the generation of the multi-TB scheduling DCI in step S720, the base station allocates / schedules time-domain resources for transmitting and / or receiving N transport blocks. This scheduling may include the step of deciding to show the scheduling of multiple (e.g., N>1) TBs to one or more UEs. Step 710 may generally be performed in conjunction with the scheduling of resources for other transmit / receive by other UEs, taking into account traffic conditions and quality of service requirements used by one or more UEs.

[0109] Furthermore, any of the steps / operations described below may be performed or controlled by circuit 630 (UE side) and / or circuit 680 (base station side).

[0110] In further description, details and embodiments apply to the transceiver devices, scheduling devices (or scheduling nodes), and methods, respectively, unless otherwise indicated by express description or context.

[0111] <Multi-TB Scheduling DCI> Generally, a DCI can schedule multiple TBs. In other words, multiple TB transmissions, with or without repetition, are scheduled by a (single or one) DCI. Hereafter, such a DCI will also be referred to as a multiple TB scheduling DCI. More specifically, a multiple TB scheduling DCI indicates the scheduling of multiple TBs (to the same UE). Similarly, the term "multiple TB scheduling" refers to the scheduling of multiple TBs by a single (or one) DCI to the same UE.

[0112] Generally, a multi-TB scheduling DCI may further specify in the above UE at least one (one, two, three, or even all four) of the following: i) the number of TBs N, ii) the number of repeated TB transmissions M, iii) the transmission gap, and iv) the interleave pattern.

[0113] In other words, a multi-TB scheduling DCI may include i) an indication of the number of TBs N, ii) an indication of the number of repeated TB transmissions M, iii) an indication of the transmission gap, and iv) an indication of the interleave pattern. Note that the indication of the number of TBs N may implicitly indicate the scheduling of N TBs, and the indication of M repeated transmissions may implicitly indicate the scheduling of M repeated transmissions of a TB. More specifically, the indication of N in a multi-TB scheduling DCI may also indicate the scheduling of N TBs. In other words, the indication of N can be considered a joint indication of the N and the scheduling of N TBs. Similarly, the indication of M in a multi-TB scheduling DCI may also indicate the scheduling of M repeated transmissions. In other words, the indication of M can be considered a joint indication of the M and the scheduling of M repeated transmissions. The interleaving pattern may implicitly indicate scheduling of N TBs, scheduling of M repeated transmissions of a TB, or both.

[0114] Generally, an indication showing the scheduling of N TBs may integrate the scheduling of N TBs with at least one of i) scheduling of M repeated transmissions, ii) interleaving patterns, and iii) transmission gaps. Such an integrated indication can reduce overhead.

[0115] <Multi-TB scheduling for DCI scheduling> Generally, an indication showing the scheduling of N TBs may include N indicators. In other words, a multi-TB scheduling DCI may generally include N indicators for the scheduled TBs. These N indicators may be explicit or implicit.

[0116] However, the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, scheduling N TBs by a multi-TB scheduling DCI does not require that the multi-TB scheduling DCI include an explicit indication of the number N TBs scheduled. In other words, the multi-TB scheduling DCI may or may not include an indication of the number N TBs scheduled. For example, in some embodiments, a UE (e.g., its transceiver) is configured to receive Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling. In these embodiments, the UE (e.g., its processing circuitry) then, during operation, obtains an indication of the number N TBs from the received RRC signaling.

[0117] Similarly, an indication showing the scheduling of M repeated transmissions of TB can generally include several million indications. In other words, a multi-TB scheduling DCI can generally include several million indications for repeated transmissions. These several million indications for repeated transmissions may be explicit or implicit.

[0118] However, the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, scheduling M repetitions of transmission by a multi-TB scheduling DCI does not require that the multi-TB scheduling DCI include an explicit indication of the number M of TBs scheduled. In other words, a multi-TB scheduling DCI that schedules repetitions of TBs may or may not include an indication of the number M of repetitions of the scheduled TBs. Similar to the number N of TBs, the number M of repetitions may be indicated via an RRC.

[0119] In general, some multi-TB scheduling DCIs may explicitly indicate N and / or M, but for other multi-TB scheduling DCIs, it is implicitly understood that the current values ​​of N and / or M (the last values ​​of N / M explicitly indicated by the multi-TB scheduling DCI) apply. Alternatively or additionally, N and / or M may be set via RRC, and the multi-TB scheduling DCI may indicate the scheduling of N transport blocks (and M repeated transmissions, if applicable) by trigger (e.g., a 1-bit field in the DCI) alone. That is, the number of transport blocks N, the number of repeated transmissions M, the interleave pattern, and the transmit gap may be indicated by other means, for example, by RRC.

[0120] Furthermore, a multi-TB scheduling DCI may generally schedule resources for scheduled transmissions / repetitions of multiple TBs. This resource scheduling can be slot-based (illustrated in Figures 8 and 9) or non-slot-based. In other words, a multi-TB scheduling DCI may be slot-based multi-TB scheduling or non-slot-based multi-TB scheduling. More specifically, slot-based scheduling refers to the scheduling of resources where all transmissions / repetitions of a TB are scheduled at the slot granularity. In other words, for each scheduled TB transmission / repetition, all time-domain resources of one or more slots are used (e.g., each transmission / repetition uses one or more entire slots / all slots). On the other hand, non-slot-based scheduling refers to scheduling where the time-domain resources scheduled for a TB or its repetitions are less than one slot, for example, one, two or several OFDM symbols. Specifically, non-slot-based scheduling may schedule multiple transmissions / repetitions of a TB into the same slot.

[0121] In this disclosure, phrases such as "DCI schedules," "DCI indicates scheduling," and "includes an indication that DCI indicates scheduling" are used synonymously. Furthermore, phrases such as "schedule transmission of multiple TBs," "schedule transmission and / or reception of multiple TBs," and "schedule multiple TBs" are used synonymously.

[0122] Furthermore, scheduling N TBs (and M repeated transmissions, if applicable) may be scheduling transmissions on the uplink (UL: Uplink, e.g., PUSCH) or downlink (DL: Downlink, e.g., PDSCH). In other words, TBs scheduled by a multi-TB scheduling DCI may be scheduled for transmission or reception by the UE (and correspondingly for reception or transmission by the base station). To put it another way, unless otherwise specified, "transmission" refers to transmission by the UE or transmission by the base station, and "reception" refers to reception by the UE or reception by the base station.

[0123] The resources used for sending / receiving the N TBs (and M repetitions, if applicable) to be scheduled may or may not be indicated (explicitly or implicitly) by the multi-TB scheduling DCI. For example, the resources may be indicated via RRC using the SPS / CG framework.

[0124] <Transport Blocks (TB) and Repeat Transmissions> Generally, N TBs can carry different data from one another.

[0125] The term "transport block" may be replaced with the term "codeword," particularly in the context of MIMO. More specifically, the term codeword is commonly used in MIMO to describe one or more codewords, each of which can be scheduled and mapped to one or more spatial layers. In terms of channel coding and modulation, as far as the present invention is concerned, there is no distinction between transport blocks and codewords in operation. In other words, this disclosure also enables the scheduling of multiple codewords by providing a multi-codeword scheduling DCI (with the term "transport block" replaced by "codeword") that functions similarly to a multi-TB scheduling DCI.

[0126] In general, each of M repeated transmissions may carry the same data as the corresponding TB among N TBs. In other words, each of M repeated transmissions may correspond to one of N TBs scheduled by a multi-TB scheduling DCI. A TB and its corresponding repeated transmissions may generally carry the same data. However, a TB and its corresponding repeated transmission are not necessarily identical. For example, the same data described above may be encoded differently in the TB and its corresponding repeated transmission. That is, repeated transmissions of a TB may be different redundant versions (RVs) of that TB. In general, M may be a number greater than or equal to 1, and a number of repeated transmissions M of 1 may mean / indicate that only one transmission is scheduled for one of the TBs, or that only one transmission is scheduled for each TB (i.e., the first transmission of each TB is counted as one of its repeated transmissions). In other words, M=1 may indicate that no repeated transmissions are scheduled. To put it another way, the terms “transmission” and “repeated transmission” are used synonymously in this specification. In this disclosure, the term "further repeated transmissions" refers to any transmission of a TB other than the initial transmission of the TB.

[0127] The number of repeated transmissions M may be the sum of repeated transmissions / transmissions scheduled by the multi-TB scheduling DCI. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, because the multi-TB scheduling DCI can schedule M repeated transmissions for each of the N scheduled transport blocks (a total of N × M repeated transmissions). Alternatively, the DCI may schedule M repeated transmissions for only one of the TBs (e.g., the first one) or some of them (e.g., every other one), and transmit only once for the other TBs. In general, the multi-TB scheduling DCI may indicate a different number of repeated transmissions for each of the scheduled TBs.

[0128] The repetitions and transmissions referred to in this disclosure may be nominal or actual repetitions / transmissions. Nominal and actual repetitions are concepts introduced in Release 16NR for PUSCH repetition type B, and are described in detail in Non-Patent Document 10, Section 6.1.2.1. More specifically, a nominal repetition / transmission is one that is intended to be set / scheduled / indicated based on the set / scheduled / indicated resources. However, generally, a nominal repetition may be interrupted, such as when some of the OFDM symbols assigned to it are invalid, or when a nominal repetition crosses a slot boundary. As a result, a nominal repetition / transmission may be further divided by the slot boundary or invalid OFDM symbols, resulting in one or more actual repetitions.

[0129] Indications in a multi-TB scheduling DCI may be explicit indicators (e.g., bit fields in the DCI to indicate the number of TBs N and / or the number of repetitions M), or integrated indicators such as entries in a TDRA table (such a TDRA table may contain multiple entries specifying different combinations of TBs and the number of repetitions).

[0130] <Transmission gap> Generally, a multi-TB scheduling DCI may indicate a transmit gap (for example, it may include its indication). Here, the transmit gap refers to the time gap (e.g., measured in slots or OFDM symbols) between consecutive transmits and / or further repeat transmits of a TB. In other words, the transmit gap refers to the period (resource in the time domain) between two consecutive transmits. Two consecutive transmits / repeat transmits are two transmits / repeat transmits in which the multi-TB scheduling DCI has not scheduled one other transmit / repeat transmit among the N scheduled TBs.

[0131] This will be explained further here with reference to Figures 8c and 8d.

[0132] Specifically, Figure 8c shows an example of scheduling multiple TBs without a transmit gap. As can be seen, in the first slot of Figure 8c, a PDCCH containing a multi-TB scheduling DCI is transmitted by the base station and / or received by the UE. That multi-TB scheduling DCI schedules four TBs in the third through sixth slots, respectively. In other words, the multi-TB scheduling DCI schedules four TBs such that there is no transmit gap between the four scheduled TBs. That is, the four TBs are scheduled to be transmitted in consecutive slots.

[0133] Figure 8d shows an example of scheduling multiple TBs with a transmit gap. Similar to Figure 8c, the multi-TB scheduling DCI is transmitted in the first slot. Specifically, four TBs are scheduled, starting from the third slot and alternating every other slot. That is, the first to fourth TBs are scheduled to be transmitted in slots #3, #5, #7, and #9, respectively. In other words, the four TBs are scheduled with a transmit gap of one slot between consecutive TBs.

[0134] In general, different / multiple transmit gaps may be indicated by the multi-TB scheduling DCI. For example, the first transmit gap may apply to the first two consecutive transmits of TB, the second gap to two further consecutive repeat transmits, the third gap to the first transmit and subsequent repeat transmits of TB, and / or the fourth gap to further repeat transmits and subsequent transmits of TB.

[0135] <Interleaving Pattern> Generally, the interleaving pattern used to interleave two or more TBs scheduled by a multi-TB scheduling DCI may be selected from a predefined and / or predetermined set of interleaving patterns. In other words, one of several predefined and / or predetermined interleaving patterns (e.g., any one of them) may be indicated by the multi-TB scheduling DCI. For example, these interleaving patterns may be set via RRC signaling or defined in a standard.

[0136] The number of TBs N and / or the number of repeated transmissions M may be implicitly indicated by the interleaving pattern. In other words, each interleaving pattern may be associated with the number of TBs N and / or the number of repeated transmissions M. That is, by indicating the interleaving pattern, the multi-TB scheduling DCI implicitly indicates the associated number of TBs N and / or the associated number of repeated transmissions M. Similarly, the transmission gap may be fixed by the interleaving pattern, i.e., the interleaving pattern may be associated with a specific transmission gap. These associations may generally be fixed or dynamic, and may be configurable, for example, via RRC.

[0137] However, the present invention is not limited thereto. Generally, a multi-TB scheduling DCI may include an explicit indication of a transmit gap that can be determined and set by the base station independently of the interleaved pattern indicated in the DCI, thereby increasing scheduling flexibility. This indication may be an explicit indication (e.g., a bit field in the DCI to indicate a gap) or a joint indication (joint indication) that refers to an entry in a TDRA table, such as an entry in an interleaved pattern (such a TDRA table may contain multiple entries for the same interleaved pattern specifying different transmit gaps).

[0138] In general, the interleaving pattern may be selected from, but is not limited to, two or more predefined interleaving patterns, such as the TB-priority pattern and RV-priority pattern described further below. In other words, an indication in the multi-TB scheduling DCI that shows interleaving may indicate which of the two or more predefined interleaving patterns will be used for the scheduled TB (and, if applicable, for further scheduled retransmissions).

[0139] Here, we will describe some exemplary interleaving patterns with reference to Figure 8 (Figures 8a to 8d).

[0140] Figure 8a shows TB scheduling with repeated transmissions using a "TB-priority pattern" where TB transmissions (including repeated transmissions) are not interleaved. In other words, Figure 8a shows an interleaving pattern with trivial interleaving of TBs. The TB-priority interleaving pattern can be schematically described as follows. {TB0_RV0, TB0_RV2, TB0_RV3, TB0_RV1, TB1_RV0, TB1_RV2, TB1_RV3, TB1_RV1}

[0141] Here, the display before "_" indicates a transport block, and the display after "_" indicates a redundant version. More specifically, as also shown in Figure 8a, the multi-TB scheduling DCI schedules the transmission of two TBs. Furthermore, for each of these two TBs, four repeated transmissions are scheduled. Thus, each of the two scheduled TBs is transmitted four times (possibly with different encodings for each of these four transmissions). The transmission of the first TB is initially scheduled to slots 3-6. Specifically, the redundant version of "0" is transmitted in slot 3, the redundant version of "2" is transmitted in slot 4, the redundant version of "3" is transmitted in slot 5, and the redundant version of "1" is transmitted in slot 3. In the example shown in Figure 8a, there is a transmission gap of one slot after the transmission of the first TB. After the transmission of the first TB and the transmission gap, the transmission of the second TB is scheduled to slots 8-11. The redundant versions of the second TB are transmitted in the same order as the redundant versions of the first TB.

[0142] Generally, in a TB-priority pattern, TB transmissions (including repetitions) can occur consecutively (e.g., in consecutive slots), i.e., without other scheduled TB transmissions / repetitions in between. Generally, there may or may not be transmission gaps between TB transmissions. Furthermore, there may or may not be transmission gaps between the last transmission of one TB and the first transmission of another TB. Some or all of these transmission gaps may be identical or different from one another.

[0143] The TB-prioritizing pattern can enable high reliability and low latency in the transmission of the first TB. The TB-prioritizing option may be particularly beneficial when the first TB has significantly higher priority and performance requirements than the second TB (and any further TBs, if applicable).

[0144] Figure 8b shows TB scheduling with repeated transmissions using an "RV-priority pattern" in which TB transmissions (including repeated transmissions) are interleaved. The RV-priority interleaving pattern can be schematically described as follows: {TB0_RV0, TB1_RV0, TB0_RV2, TB1_RV2, TB0_RV3, TB1_RV3, TB0_RV1, TB1_RV1}

[0145] More specifically, as also shown in Figure 8b, the multi-TB scheduling DCI schedules the transmission of two TBs. Furthermore, each of these two TBs is scheduled for four repeated transmissions. Thus, each of the two scheduled TBs is transmitted four times (possibly with different encodings for each of these four transmissions).

[0146] The first TB transmission is scheduled to start from the third slot and proceed every other slot (to slots #3, #5, #7, and #9). The second TB transmission is scheduled to start from the fourth slot and proceed every other slot (to slots #4, #6, #8, and #10). In other words, the transmissions for the first and second slots are interleaved.

[0147] In the first transmission of each TB (slots #3 and #4), a redundant version of each TB with "0" is transmitted; in the second transmission of each TB, i.e., the first further repeated transmission (slots #5 and #6), a redundant version of each TB with "2" is transmitted; in the third transmission of each TB (slots #7 and #8), a redundant version of each TB with "3" is transmitted; and in the fourth transmission of each TB (slots #9 and #10), a redundant version of each TB with "1" is transmitted. In the example shown in Figure 8b, the TBs and further repeated transmissions are transmitted without gaps between them.

[0148] In general, in an RV-priority pattern, there may be transmissions of (e.g., one) of TBs scheduled for each other between two transmissions of a given TB. Redundant versions of different TBs may be transmitted in the same order (which may be specified by the RV-priority pattern).

[0149] The RV-prioritized pattern allows for increased time diversity, which can improve reliability, especially in situations with low frequency diversity. Generally, in the RV-prioritized pattern, TB transmissions / repeated transmissions may be performed consecutively (e.g., in consecutive slots), i.e., without gaps between transmissions / repeated transmissions. However, gaps may exist between transmissions / repeated transmissions, which can further increase time diversity.

[0150] Figures 8c and 8d show further examples of interleaved patterns without repeated transmissions, where TBs are scheduled with and without gaps, respectively. These have already been explained above when discussing the transmission gap between TBs.

[0151] Furthermore, to increase capacity, time-domain interleaving can also be used with interleave-division multiple-access (IDMA).

[0152] <Integrated Indicators and TDRA Tables> Generally, a multi-TB scheduling DCI may comprehensively indicate to the UE one, several, or all of the following: i) the number of TBs, ii) the number of repeat transmissions, iii) the transmission gap, and iv) the interleave pattern. In other words, the indication within a multi-TB scheduling DCI may be a comprehensive indication of the scheduling of N TBs and one or more of the aforementioned points i) to iv).

[0153] For example, such an integration indication may be a parameter or a field within the DCI. An integration indication may also refer to an entry in a time domain resource allocation (TDRA) table. Specifically, an integration indication may be an indication of an index (e.g., a row index) that points to an entry (e.g., a row) in the TDRA table. That is, an integration indication may be pointed to by a TDRA table to which columns corresponding to one or more of the parameters i) to vi) above have been added. In other words, the TDRA table signaling framework may be enhanced to support scheduling of multiple TBs by, for example, extending an existing TDRA table with additional entries / rows / columns.

[0154] An example of a TDRA table for scheduling multiple TBs is shown below. [Table 6]

[0155] As shown in the example table above, a TDRA table for scheduling multiple TBs may include the following (corresponding to the last four rows of the example table above): i) For one or more (and even each) row index, a row that identifies or indicates the number N in TB, ii) For one or more (and even each) row index, a row that identifies or indicates the number M of repeated transmissions, iii) For one or more (and even each) row index, a row that identifies or indicates a transmission gap, and / or iv) A row that identifies or indicates an interleaving pattern for one or more (or even each) row index.

[0156] In other words, for each row index, one or more of the parameters described in points i) to iv) above may be defined. If a row does not (explicitly) specify a row index (corresponding to the last four "NA" entries in the example table above), a predefined or default value may be used. For example, some interleaving patterns may be associated with a default send gap.

[0157] Specifically, the row index may be indicated by an indicator within the multi-TB scheduling DCI. That is, the row index may be an integrated indicator within the multi-TB scheduling DCI that indicates the scheduling of N TBs and one or more of the parameters i) to iv).

[0158] By using integrated indicators for multiple parameters (e.g., the number of TBs, the number of repeated transmissions in M, the interleave pattern, and the transmit gap), it may be possible to schedule multiple TBs with little to no additional DCI overhead. Furthermore, integrated indicators based on TDRA tables, etc., may allow for flexible allocation of time / frequency domain resources for transmitting / receiving multiple TBs with a single DCI.

[0159] Furthermore, TDRA tables that support scheduling of multiple TBs can be configured / associated with a specific set of Search Spaces (SS) or Bandwidth Parts (BWP). In other words, there may be one or more TDRA tables that support scheduling of multiple TBs, and one or more TDRA tables that do not support scheduling of multiple TBs.

[0160] <Setting Grant (CG) and Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SPS) Framework> Generally, a UE (e.g., its processing circuit) may, during operation, obtain an indication from a multi-TB scheduling DCI to activate a setting grant (CG) or semi-persistent scheduling (SPS). For example, an indication showing the scheduling of N TBs may be an indication to activate a CG / SPS. After obtaining an indication to activate a CG / SPS, the circuit may, during operation, activate the CG or SPS according to that indication. The CG or SPS may indicate multiple transmission opportunities. The circuit may, during operation, deactivate the CG or SPS after N transmission opportunities starting from the reception of the multi-TB scheduling DCI. Note that SPS and CG (especially "Type 2" CG) may be used to enable the scheduling of multiple TBs in DL and UL, respectively.

[0161] In other words, CG / SPS can be enhanced to enable scheduling of multiple TBs with or without repetition. In particular, in this case, the multi-TB scheduling DCI may simply be a trigger (e.g., a 1-bit field in the multi-TB scheduling DCI). That is, the number of transport blocks N, the number of repetitions M, the interleave pattern, and the transmit gap may be indicated by other means, for example, signaled by CG / SPS in the RRC setting. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, for the reason that the interleave pattern and / or transmit gap may or may not be indicated by the multi-TB scheduling DCI that activates CG / SPS.

[0162] Generally, multiple transmission opportunities (e.g., time resources) can be configured in RRC (e.g., using the CG / SPS framework). Some of the multiple transmission opportunities may be selected by the control information of the CG / SPS trigger DCI. The rest of some of the multiple transmission opportunities are released. For example, the CG / SPS DCI may include an explicit indication of the transmission opportunity selected from the configured transmission opportunities for the transmission / reception of the scheduled TB (and additional retransmission if applicable). If there is only a trigger flag in the CG / SPS DCI, the number N of the scheduled TBs and / or the number of transmission opportunities may be configured via RRC for the triggered CG / SPS setting.

[0163] <The number N of transport blocks indicated by the CG / SPS trigger DCI> Generally, the number N of TBs can be indicated by the DCI that triggers / activates CG / SPS. That is, the control information of the multi-TB scheduling DCI (e.g., an indication indicating the scheduling of N TBs) may be or include the number N of TBs. In this case, the UE may automatically release CG / SPS after N transmission opportunities or after the actual transmission of the TBs N times. Alternatively, the UE may automatically release CG / SPS after the number of transmission opportunities equal to / corresponding to the number of scheduled transmissions including retransmissions, or after actually transmitting / receiving the scheduled TBs including retransmissions. Specifically, the UE / base station does not have to use all of the transmissions / retransmissions scheduled by the DCI that triggers / activates CG / SPS for actually transmitting the TB / retransmission.

[0164] <The number N of transport blocks indicated / set by RRC> Generally, as already described above, the number N of transport blocks may be indicated via RRC.

[0165] Specifically, within a particular CG / SPS configuration, the number of TBs N or a timer may be set by the RRC. If a timer is used, the timer may start, for example, from the transmission of the first TB, or from the transmission of a multi-TB scheduling DCI. When a CG / SPS configuration is triggered, periodic transmissions are automatically released / terminated after the timer expires or after the transmission of the number of TBs. In other words, multiple CG / SPS configurations may be configured, and a CG / SPS trigger DCI may explicitly or implicitly indicate one of the configured CG / SPS configurations. For example, a CG / SPS trigger DCI may trigger that CG / SPS, and its time-domain resource includes the slot from which the CG / SPS trigger DCI is sent. As a further example, if two or more CG / SPS configurations include the slot from which the CG / SPS trigger DCI is sent, the CG / SPS with the lower index or higher priority will be triggered. The index and / or priority may be set by the RRC in the CG / SPS configuration, for example.

[0166] Figure 9 illustrates the automatic release when scheduling multiple TBs using the CG / SPS framework. The interleave pattern, transmit gap, and numbers N and M are the same as in Figure 8a; therefore, the same explanation will not be repeated. As shown in Figure 9, CG / SPS is automatically released / deactivated after the last scheduled TB transmit (including scheduled repeat transmits), specifically after the "1" redundant version of the second TB transmit (i.e., after slot #11, where #1 is the slot that transmits the CG / SPS trigger DCI).

[0167] Scheduling multiple TBs with a single DCI using CG / SPS could be a simple and efficient solution because it utilizes the existing SPS / CG framework. Specifically, this approach may have less impact on the specification because it could reduce the number of parameters that need to be introduced into the standard. Furthermore, in contrast to the current SPS / CG framework, using CG / SPS for scheduling multiple TBs could allow the gNB to complete the scheduling of multiple TBs using only one DCI instead of two DCIs (one for activating SPS / CG and one for deactivating it). This could further save power consumption on PDCCH monitoring, as the UE may not need to monitor the PDCCH for SPS / CG deactivation.

[0168] Generally, the UE's PDCCH (Physical Downlink Control Channel) monitoring operation can be adapted according to the number of TBs N scheduled by the DCI.

[0169] In general, scheduling multiple TBs can enable further power savings by adapting accordingly. More specifically, scheduling multiple TBs can allow the same amount of resources and / or TBs to be scheduled with fewer DCIs. Therefore, PDCCH monitoring can be adapted to scheduling multiple TBs, as more resources are scheduled to the UE at once. Such adaptation of PDCCH monitoring operation / behavior can facilitate further reductions in the power consumption of the UE itself, but can also be used to give other UEs more scheduling opportunities.

[0170] For example, multiple sets of parameters "monitoringSlotPeriodicityAndOffset" and "monitoringSymbolsWithinSlot" can be set. On the other hand, a single TB scheduling DCI may switch the UE to a PDCCH monitoring opportunity specified by a first set of parameters, and a multi-TB scheduling DCI may switch the UE to a PDCCH monitoring opportunity specified by a second set of parameters. If the UE is already using the first set when it receives a single TB scheduling DCI, it may continue to use the first set of parameters. Similarly, if the UE is already using the second set of parameters when it receives a multi-TB scheduling DCI, it may continue to use the second set.

[0171] In other words, upon receiving a single-TB scheduling DCI, and / or a multi-TB scheduling DCI, the UE may re-evaluate which of the two or more sets of parameters it should use, or more generally, re-evaluate its PDCCH monitoring behavior. Generally, one or both of a multi-TB scheduling DCI and a single-TB scheduling DCI can trigger an adaptation / re-evaluation of the parameter set.

[0172] In other words, when a UE receives a DCI, the UE (or its processing circuitry) may determine whether to change its PDCCH monitoring behavior. This determination may be based on whether the DCI is a single TB scheduling DCI or a multi-TB scheduling DCI. However, this determination may depend on (for example, consider) further criteria such as battery status or expected traffic.

[0173] For example, if the DCI is a single-TB scheduling DCI, the UE may decide to monitor a first set of PDCCH candidates. On the other hand, if the DCI is a multi-TB scheduling DCI, the UE may decide to monitor a second set of PDCCH candidates. In other words, the UE may decide to monitor either the first or the second set of PDCCH candidates. The second set of PDCCH candidates may be smaller than the first set of PDCCH candidates. Alternatively or additionally, the UE may decide to monitor the PDCCH less frequently when the DCI is a multi-TB scheduling DCI compared to when the DCI is a single-TB scheduling DCI. The UE may monitor a reduced number of PDCCH candidates, or may perform monitoring less frequently for a predetermined period and / or until another DCI is received (specifically, until a single-TB scheduling DCI is received). Specifically, if a multi-TB scheduling DCI is received, the UE may even decide to completely stop PDCCH monitoring for a predetermined period.

[0174] Furthermore, the embodiments of this disclosure are for scenarios with relatively long round-trip time (RTT), for example, where the number of HARQ process IDs is small compared to the RTT, i.e., slot_length × "number of HARQ process IDs" <RTT This is also applicable and beneficial to non-terrestrial networks (NTN) exceeding 52.6 GHz because a single DCI can schedule multiple slots with a single HARQ process ID.

[0175] <Further aspects> According to a first embodiment, a user device (UE) is provided. The UE comprises a transceiver and a circuit. The transceiver receives downlink control information (DCI) signaling when in operation. The circuit obtains an indication from the DCI signaling when in operation. The indication indicates the scheduling of N transport blocks (TBs) (where N is an integer greater than 1), and at least one of i) scheduling of M repeated transmissions of the TBs (where M is 1 or greater), ii) an interleaving pattern of the TBs, and iii) a transmission gap between the TBs.

[0176] According to a second embodiment provided in addition to the first embodiment, the N TBs carry different data from each other, and / or the M repeated transmissions each carry the same data as the corresponding TB among the N TBs.

[0177] According to a third embodiment provided in addition to the first or second embodiment, the indication showing the scheduling of the N TBs may integrally show the scheduling of the N TBs, the scheduling of the M repeated transmissions, the interleaving pattern, and the transmission gap.

[0178] According to a fourth aspect provided in addition to the third aspect, the integrated indication may be one of a parameter or field in the DCI and a reference to an entry in a Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) table.

[0179] According to a fifth embodiment provided in addition to one of the first to fourth embodiments, the indicator showing the scheduling of the N TBs may include the N indicators.

[0180] According to a sixth embodiment provided in addition to one of the first to fifth embodiments, the transceiver receives radio resource control (RRC) signaling during operation, and the circuit obtains an indication from the RRC signaling that represents the number N of TBs during operation.

[0181] According to a seventh aspect provided in addition to one of the fifth or sixth aspects, if the circuit, during operation, obtains an indication from the DCI to activate a setting grant (CG) or semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) indicating a set of transmission opportunities, the circuit, during operation, deactivates the CG or SPS after N transmission opportunities, starting from the reception of the DCI.

[0182] According to an eighth aspect provided in addition to one of the first to seventh aspects, when the transceiver receives a DCI, the circuit, in operation, adapts the physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring operation of the UE in accordance with the number N of the TBs scheduled by the DCI.

[0183] According to a ninth aspect, a scheduling device is provided. The scheduling device comprises a circuit and a transceiver. The circuit generates downlink control information (DCI) signaling when in operation, the DCI signaling includes an indication to the UE of scheduling N transport blocks (TBs) (where N is an integer greater than 1), and at least one of i) scheduling M repeated transmissions of the TBs (where M is 1 or greater), ii) an interleaving pattern of the TBs, and iii) a transmission gap between the TBs. The transceiver transmits the DCI signaling to the user equipment (UE) when in operation.

[0184] According to a tenth aspect, a method for a user device (UE) is provided. The method includes the steps of receiving downlink control information (DCI) signaling and obtaining an indication from the DCI signaling. The indication indicates at least one of the following: scheduling of N transport blocks (TBs) (where N is an integer greater than 1); scheduling of M repeated transmissions of the TBs (where M is 1 or greater); an interleaving pattern of the TBs; and a transmission gap between the TBs.

[0185] According to an eleventh aspect, a method for a scheduling node is provided. The method includes the steps of generating downlink control information (DCI) signaling and transmitting the DCI signaling to a user equipment (UE). The DCI signaling includes an indication to the UE of scheduling N transport blocks (TBs) (where N is an integer greater than 1), scheduling M repeated transmissions of the TBs (where M is 1 or greater), an interleaving pattern of the TBs, and at least one of the transmission gaps between the TBs.

[0186] <Implementation of the hardware and software of this disclosure> This disclosure can be implemented by software, hardware, or software that interacts with hardware. Each functional block used in the description of each embodiment described above can be implemented partially or entirely by an LSI (Large Scale Integration) such as an integrated circuit (IC), and each process described in each embodiment may be controlled partially or entirely by the same LSI or a combination of LSIs. The LSI may be formed as individual chips, or a single chip may be formed to include some or all of the functional blocks. The LSI may include data inputs and outputs coupled thereto. Here, LSIs may be called ICs, system LSIs, super LSIs, or ultra LSIs depending on the degree of integration. However, the technology for realizing integrated circuits is not limited to LSIs, and may be implemented using dedicated circuits, general-purpose processors, or application-specific processors. Furthermore, a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) that can be programmed after manufacturing of an LSI or reconfigurable processor in which the connections and settings of circuit cells arranged inside the LSI can be reconfigured may be used. This disclosure can be implemented as digital processing or analog processing. As a result of advancements in semiconductor technology and other derivative technologies, if future integrated circuit technology replaces LSIs, functional blocks can be integrated using future integrated circuit technology. Biotechnology can also be applied.

[0187] This disclosure can be implemented by any type of device, apparatus, or system having communication capabilities, referred to as a communication apparatus.

[0188] The communication device may have a transceiver and a processing / control circuit. The transceiver may have and / or function as a receiver and a transmitter. The transceiver as a transmitter and receiver may include an RF (Radio Frequency) module including an amplifier, an RF modulator / demodulator, and one or more antennas.

[0189] Some non-exclusive examples of such communication devices include telephones (e.g., cell phones, smartphones), tablets, personal computers (PCs) (e.g., laptops, desktops, netbooks), cameras (e.g., digital still / video cameras), digital players (digital audio / video players), wearable devices (e.g., wearable cameras, smartwatches, tracking devices), game consoles, digital book readers, telehealth / telemedicine (remote health and telemedicine) devices, and vehicles providing communication capabilities (e.g., automobiles, airplanes, ships), as well as various combinations thereof.

[0190] Communication devices are not limited to being portable or mobile, and may include any type of device, system, or apparatus that is non-portable or fixed, such as smart home devices (e.g., appliances, lighting, smart meters, control panels), vending machines, and any other “thing” in the “Internet of Things (IoT)” network.

[0191] Communication may include, for example, exchanging data via cellular systems, wireless LAN systems, satellite systems, and various combinations thereof.

[0192] The communication device may include devices such as controllers or sensors coupled to a communication device that performs the communication functions described in this disclosure. For example, the communication device may include controllers or sensors that generate control signals or data signals used by the communication device that performs the communication functions of the communication device.

[0193] The communication equipment may also include infrastructure facilities such as base stations and access points, and any other equipment, devices, or systems that communicate with or control such equipment as those in the non-limiting examples above.

[0194] Furthermore, various embodiments may also be implemented using software modules executed by a processor or directly in hardware. Combinations of software modules and hardware implementations may also be possible. Software modules may be stored on any type of computer-readable storage medium. Specifically, other implementations provide non-temporary computer-readable recording media. The recording media, when executed by one or more processors, stores a program that causes one or more processors to perform steps of the method according to this disclosure.

[0195] For example, and not limited to, such computer-readable storage media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, flash memory, or any other media 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. Also, any connection is properly referred to as computer-readable media. For example, if instructions are transmitted from a website, server or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of media. However, it should be understood that computer-readable storage media and data storage media do not include connections, carriers, signals, or other temporary media, but instead refer to non-temporary tangible storage media. As used herein, the terms "disk" and "disc" include, as used herein, compact discs (CDs), laserdiscs (registered trademark), optical discs, digital versatile discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs, where a "disk" typically reproduces data magnetically, while a "disc" reproduces data optically using a laser. Any combination of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0196] Furthermore, individual features of different embodiments may become the subject of other embodiments, individually or in any combination. Those skilled in the art will understand that numerous variations and / or modifications can be made to this disclosure, as shown in specific embodiments. Therefore, these embodiments should be considered illustrative and not restrictive in all respects.

Claims

1. A transceiver that receives downlink control information (DCI) signaling, A circuit that obtains indications from the DCI signaling, A communication device equipped with, The aforementioned indication shows the scheduling of N data points (where N is an integer greater than 1), The aforementioned indication is a reference to at least one entry in the Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) list, The number N of the data is related to the number of at least one entry in the TDRA list. Communication device.

2. Each of the N data items is associated with one or more transport blocks (TBs). The communication device according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned indication is, The transmission gap between the aforementioned data, The scheduling of M repeated transmissions of TB (where M is 1 or greater), and at least one of the following: The communication device according to claim 1.

4. The aforementioned N data carry different data from each other. Each of the M repeated transmissions carries the same data from the N items. The communication device according to claim 3.

5. The transceiver receives the Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling before receiving the DCI signaling. The circuit obtains a second indication from the RRC signaling that represents the number N of TBs. The communication device according to claim 1.

6. If the circuit obtains an indication from the DCI signaling to activate a setting grant (CG) or semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) indicating multiple transmission opportunities, the circuit deactivates the CG or SPS after N transmission opportunities, starting from the reception of the DCI signaling. The communication device according to claim 3.

7. The circuit performs a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring operation of the communication device according to the number N of TBs. The communication device according to claim 1.

8. The aforementioned data is either PUSCH (Physical Uplink Shared Channel) or PDSCH (Physical Downlink Shared Channel). The communication device according to claim 1.

9. In the first case, the data is arranged sequentially. In the second case, the data is arranged discontinuously. The communication device according to claim 1.

10. The DCI signaling is a single DCI signaling. The communication device according to claim 1.

11. Of the N data points, the first transmission gap between the first data point and the second data point, and the second transmission gap between the second data point and the third data point, are the same. The communication device according to claim 1.

12. Of the N data points, the first transmission gap between the first data and the second data, and the second transmission gap between the second data and the third data are different. The communication device according to claim 1.

13. Of the N data points, the first data point is associated with the first slot offset, and the second data point is associated with the second slot offset. The communication device according to claim 1.

14. A circuit that generates downlink control information (DCI) signaling, A transceiver that transmits the DCI signaling to a communication device, A scheduling device comprising, The DCI signaling is transmitted to the communication device. Includes an indicator that shows the scheduling of N data items (where N is an integer greater than 1), The aforementioned indication is a reference to at least one entry in the Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) list, The number N of the data is related to the number of at least one entry in the TDRA list. Scheduling device.

15. The steps include receiving downlink control information (DCI) signaling, The steps include obtaining an indication from the DCI signaling, A method for a communication device including, The indication shows the scheduling of N transport blocks (TBs) (where N is an integer greater than 1), The aforementioned indication is a reference to at least one entry in the Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) list, The number N of TBs is related to the number of at least one entry in the TDRA list, method.

16. The steps include generating downlink control information (DCI) signaling, The steps include transmitting the DCI signaling to a communication device, A method for a scheduling device including, The DCI signaling is transmitted to the communication device. Includes an indicator that shows the scheduling of N data items (where N is an integer greater than 1), The aforementioned indication is a reference to at least one entry in the Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) list, The number N of the data is related to the number of at least one entry in the TDRA list. method.

17. An integrated circuit that controls the processing of a communication device, The aforementioned process is, The process of receiving downlink control information (DCI) signaling, This includes a process for obtaining an indication from the DCI signaling, The aforementioned indication shows the scheduling of N data points (where N is an integer greater than 1), The aforementioned indication is a reference to at least one entry in the Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) list, The number N of the data is related to the number of at least one entry in the TDRA list. Integrated circuit.

18. A processing control integrated circuit for a scheduling device, The aforementioned process is, The process of generating downlink control information (DCI) signaling, The process includes transmitting the DCI signaling to a communication device, The DCI signaling includes an indication for the communication device that shows the scheduling of N data (where N is an integer greater than 1), The aforementioned indication is a reference to at least one entry in the Time Domain Resource Allocation (TDRA) list, The number N of the data is related to the number of at least one entry in the TDRA list. Integrated circuit.

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