Feedback of HARQ support information on positive confirmative response data

Abstract

This specification describes a user device, UE, configured to support the Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request, HARQ process when communicating with a network node of a wireless access network, wherein the UE comprises at least one processor and at least one memory for storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by at least one processor, to establish a connection to the network node, receive at least one transport block, TB from the network node, perform a cyclic redundancy check, CRC to decode the received at least one TB, and, if successful decoding is detected by determining that the received at least one TB has passed the CRC check, prepare support information. The UE comprises at least one memory, which causes the UE to transmit information to the network node and information to indicate success, and support information, to enable the network node to trigger an action related to one or more subsequent TBs based on support information, the UE is further configured to determine at least one transmit parameter based on the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, SINR, and measurements performed by the UE when success is detected, the at least one determined transmit parameter is different from the corresponding transmit parameter used for the transmission of at least one TB that was successfully decoded, and the UE is further configured to include information related to the at least one determined different transmit parameter in the support information.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) process, and more particularly to feedback provided by the UE to the network side in the HARQ process. [Background technology]

[0002] Nothing discussed in this specification regarding background technologies should be considered to acknowledge that such technologies are widely known or to form part of the general knowledge in that field.

[0003] The current single-bit HARQ feedback information can only convey information about the result of the inspection of the Transport Block (TB) (or Code Block, CB, or Code Block Group, CBG) CRC at the UE. When the bit is equal to 1, the complete information is transmitted, and the gNB can proceed to the next TB (or CBG), and in the HARQ process, it is certain that the transmitted TB can be removed from its MAC layer buffer. However, this single-bit positive feedback has some limitations, one of which is the limited information it transmits to the gNB, which in this case is simply "it worked." Therefore, the gNB does not know whether the TB simply did so or whether it was received correctly without the current amount of redundant data. Furthermore, in some cases, the gNB may not notice that the channel condition is deteriorating, and the next TB transmission will be more likely to fail if the same TB configuration is reused. However, the UE side has additional information about the passed CRC of the TB that is not communicated to the gNB. For example, depending on the output of the LDPC decoder, the UE knows how close it was to decoding the packet. This kind of information is discussed in the literature as soft feedback, in which, instead of single-bit feedback, the UE sends a value in the range [0,1] to indicate the possibility of decoding, where 0 means no possibility and 1 means certain. However, there has been considerable disagreement about standardizing such feedback, as it would require multiple feedback bits (depending on the quantization function). Furthermore, all cases are for TB failure scenarios and do not consider successful transmission cases.The introduction of code block group-based transmission, such as multibit feedback for large-payload augmented reality (XR) use cases, necessitates a rethinking of how to best utilize multibit feedback, along with the availability of wider bandwidth, which could mean that the network is capable of handling multibit HARQ feedback.

[0004] On the other hand, in latency-sensitive communications such as XR or Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC), the packet delay budget (PDB) value is on the order of milliseconds. Therefore, relying on conventional retransmission methods may be undesirable. For example, if a TB is received on the UE side, but the MCS is very close to the decryptable boundary, the response from the UE will only be an ACK response. However, if the channel condition has deteriorated even slightly, the UE will likely not be able to recover the next TB. Subsequently, when the next TB fails, a recovery mechanism involving several retransmissions will be triggered to successfully send the TB. This process consumes both time and radio resources and may violate the PDB before the TB is properly recovered. Furthermore, another scenario may occur where the initial TB is sent with excessive redundancy (very low MCS index), resulting in a very large TB size. Continuing with such a configuration (unnecessarily large TBs) carries the risk of violating the PDB.

[0005] In light of this, the disclosure also proposes devices (such as UEs, DUs, or CUs) and corresponding methods for addressing some or all of the findings described above in a generally efficient and flexible manner.

[0006] In particular, it will be understood that this disclosure broadly attempts to design HARQ support information that enables the sender to better determine how to proceed with potential HARQ retransmissions or future transmissions in order to optimize the QoS experienced by the user, given its QoS constraints (e.g., PDB), where the UE would otherwise simply feed back an ACK message. [Overview of the Initiative]

[0007] According to aspects of this disclosure, a user device, or UE, is provided which is configured to support the Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request (HARQ) process when communicating with a network node of a wireless access network, and the UE is At least one processor, At least one memory for storing instructions, where the instructions are executed by at least one processor. Establishing a connection to the network node, Receiving at least one transport block, TB, from the network node, To decode at least one received TB, perform a cyclic redundancy check, CRC, If the decoding success is detected by determining that at least one received TB has passed the CRC inspection, prepare supporting information. To enable network nodes to trigger one or more actions related to the next TB based on support information, information to indicate success and support information are sent to the network nodes. To allow the UE to do at least one memory and Equipped with, The UE is further configured to determine at least one transmit parameter based on the Signal-to-Interference plus Noise Ratio, SINR, and measurements performed by the UE, if success is detected, and at least one determined transmit parameter is different from the corresponding transmit parameter used for the transmission of at least one TB that was successfully decoded. The UE is further configured to include information related to at least one determined different transmission parameter in the supporting information.

[0008] In some cases, UE is When it is determined that at least one of the following trigger conditions is met, the system is further prompted to prepare support information and send it to the network node, and the trigger conditions are: A predetermined number of consecutive receptions for at least one TB transmission are detected by the UE. The UE detects a predetermined number of consecutive successful decryptions for at least one TB transmission, and Based on channel quality measurements performed by the UE when receiving and decoding at least one TB, and in particular based on SINR measurements, the UE detects that after receiving at least one TB from the gNB, the measured channel quality value related to the channel state between the UE and the gNB falls below a predetermined channel quality threshold. Includes.

[0009] In some examples, the transmission parameters relate to at least one of the following: the number of retransmissions required for successful decoding of the TB at the UE, the modulation and coding scheme (MCS), and the rank.

[0010] In some cases, UE is Measure the SINR value for at least one received TB, Calculate the difference between a pre-set decodeable SINR value and the measured SINR value, Based on the calculated SINR difference value, determine at least one transmission parameter for the transmission of one or more subsequent TBs. Furthermore, In particular, the UE is further prompted to indicate the gNB with the calculated SINR difference value in order to indicate the gNB to determine at least one transmit parameter for the transmission of one or more next TBs.

[0011] In some cases, UE is When detecting that the number of retransmissions used for at least one TB successfully decoded is greater than a predetermined retransmission count threshold, determining at least one transmission parameter for transmitting one or more next TBs is further caused.

[0012] In some examples, the transmission parameter is related to the MCS, and the UE indicates to the network node via assistance information to transmit one or more next TBs using a modified MCS different from the initial MCS used for successful transmission of at least one TB is further caused.

[0013] In some examples, the UE when it is determined that the calculated SINR difference value is greater than a first predetermined SINR threshold, increases the index of the initial MCS and indicates to the network node to transmit one or more next TBs using the modified MCS having the increased index is further caused, and the first predetermined SINR threshold indicates the minimum SINR difference value for triggering modification of the MCS.

[0014] In some examples, the UE indicates to the network node the maximum MCS index by which the initial MSC can be modified to transmit one or more next TBs using the modified MCS is further caused, and the maximum MSC index is determined by the UE as the index at which the UE would have been able to decode at least one received TB with a predetermined block error rate.

[0015] In some examples, the UE Preferably, when it is determined that the calculated SINR difference value is smaller than a second predetermined SINR threshold, and that decoding of one or more next TBs would fail if transmitted by the gNB using the initial MCS, the network node is instructed to decrement the index of the initial MCS and transmit one or more next TBs using the modified MCS with the decremented index. Furthermore, In particular, the reduced MSC index is determined by the UE as the index in which the UE could have decoded at least one received TB with a given block error rate.

[0016] In some examples, the transmission parameters relate to the number of retransmissions required for successful decoding of the TB at the UE, the UE consists of the maximum allowed number of retransmissions required for successful decoding of the TB at the UE, and the UE is When it is determined that the calculated SINR difference value is greater than a third predetermined SINR threshold, the network node is instructed via support information to reduce the maximum allowed number of retransmissions. This makes me want to do it even more.

[0017] In some cases, UE is Determining the maximum allowed number of reduced retransmissions based on a pre-configured function, wherein the pre-configured function includes input parameters including the calculated SINR difference value. This makes me want to do it even more.

[0018] In some examples, the transmission parameters are related to rank, and the UE is Indicate network nodes via support information to send one or more subsequent TBs using a modified rank different from the initial rank used for the successful transmission of at least one TB. This makes me want to do it even more.

[0019] In some cases, UE is When the calculated SINR difference value is determined to be greater than a fourth predetermined SINR threshold, the network node is instructed to increase the initial rank to the corrected rank in order to send one or more subsequent TBs. Furthermore, A fourth predetermined SINR threshold indicates the smallest SINR difference value to trigger a rank correction.

[0020] In some cases, UE is Indicating to a network node the maximum rank on which the initial rank can be modified in order to transmit one or more subsequent TBs using the modified rank, wherein the maximum rank is determined by the UE as the rank on which the UE could have decoded at least one received TB with a given block error rate. This makes me want to do it even more.

[0021] In some cases, UE is When it is determined that decoding one or more next TBs would fail if transmitted by the gNB using the initial rank, preferably when it is determined that the calculated SINR difference value is smaller than a fifth predetermined SINR threshold, the network node is instructed to reduce the initial rank to a corrected rank and transmit one or more next TBs using the corrected rank. This makes me want to do it even more.

[0022] In some examples, the received TB contains multiple code block groups, CBGs, and the UE is If all of the multiple CBGs are determined to have been successfully decoded, then it is determined that at least one received TB has passed the CRC check, and each CBG contains multiple code blocks, and the UE is further prompted to determine that the CBG has been successfully decoded when all the CBs contained in the CBG have passed the CRC check. Send support information for at least one TB to the network node. This makes me want to do it even more.

[0023] In some cases, the UE may be further prompted to transmit uplink channel information and support information via UCI.

[0024] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a user device, UE, is provided which is configured to support the Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request, HARQ process when communicating with a network node of a wireless access network, and the UE is At least one processor, At least one memory for storing instructions, where the instructions are executed by at least one processor. Establishing a connection to the network node, Receiving at least one code block, CB, from a network node, Perform a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) to decode at least one received CB, If the decoding success is detected by determining that at least one received CB has passed the CRC inspection, prepare supporting information. To enable network nodes to trigger one or more subsequent CB-related actions based on support information, information to indicate success and support information are sent to the network nodes. To allow the UE to do at least one memory and Equipped with, The UE is further configured to determine at least one transmit parameter based on the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, SINR, and measurements performed by the UE, if success is detected, and the at least one determined transmit parameter is different from the corresponding transmit parameter used for the transmission of at least one CB that was successfully decoded. The UE is further configured to include information related to at least one determined different transmission parameter in the supporting information.

[0025] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a user device, UE, is provided which is configured to support the Hybrid Automatic Resend Request, HARQ, process when communicating with another user device, and the UE is At least one processor, At least one memory for storing instructions, where the instructions are executed by at least one processor. Establishing a wireless connection to another user device via a direct link using device-to-device communication or side-link communication, Receiving at least one transport block, TB and / or at least one code block, CB from another user device, Perform a cyclic redundancy check, CRC, to decode at least one received TB and / or at least one CB. When decoding success is detected by determining that at least one received TB and / or at least one CB has passed the CRC inspection, prepare the relevant supporting information. To enable another user device to trigger one or more subsequent TB and / or CB-related actions based on relevant support information, information to indicate success and support information is transmitted to the other user device. To allow the UE to do at least one memory and Equipped with, The UE is further configured to determine at least one transmit parameter based on the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, SINR, and measurements performed by the UE, if success is detected, and the at least one determined transmit parameter is different from the corresponding transmit parameter used for the transmission of at least one TB and / or at least one CB that was successfully decoded. The UE is further configured to include information related to at least one determined different transmission parameter in the supporting information.

[0026] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a user device, UE, is provided which is configured to support the Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request, HARQ process when communicating with a network node of a wireless access network, and the UE is At least one processor, At least one memory for storing instructions, where the instructions are executed by at least one processor. Establishing a connection to the network node, Receiving UE capability requests from network nodes, Sending UE capability information to a network node, including the UE's ability to send support information when it detects the successful decoding of at least one received data packet, wherein at least one data packet includes, in particular, a transport block, TB and / or a code block, CB. When the UE supports sending support information, it receives a configuration message from the network node that includes configuration related to the use of the support information, When successful decoding of at least one received data packet is detected, relevant support information is prepared based on the configuration, To enable network nodes to trigger actions related to one or more subsequent data packets based on supporting information, information to indicate detected success and prepared related supporting information are sent to the network nodes. To allow the UE to do at least one memory and Equipped with, The UE is further configured to include in the support information information information relating to at least one transmit parameter different from the corresponding transmit parameter used to transmit at least one data packet that was successfully decrypted.

[0027] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a user device, UE, is provided which is configured to support the Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request, HARQ process when communicating with a network node of a wireless access network, and the UE is At least one processor, At least one memory for storing instructions, where the instructions are executed by at least one processor. Establishing a connection to the network node, Receiving UE capability requests from network nodes, Sending UE capability information to a network node, including the UE's ability to send support information when it detects the success and / or failure of decoding at least one received data packet, wherein at least one data packet includes, in particular, a transport block, TB and / or a code block, CB, When the UE supports sending support information, it receives a configuration message from the network node that includes configuration related to the use of the support information, When the success and / or failure of decoding at least one received data packet is detected, relevant support information is prepared based on the configuration, To enable network nodes to trigger actions related to at least one data packet sent based on the support information, prepared support information is sent to the network nodes. To allow the UE to do at least one memory and Equipped with, The UE is further configured to include in the support information information information related to at least one transmit parameter that is different from the corresponding transmit parameter used to transmit at least one packet that was successfully and / or unsuccessfully decrypted.

[0028] According to another aspect of this disclosure, a network node of a radio access network is provided, configured to support Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request, HARQ, process when communicating with user equipment, UE, and the network node At least one processor, At least one memory for storing instructions, where the instructions are executed by at least one processor. Establishing a connection to the UE, Sending at least one transport block, TB, to the UE, Receiving from the UE information to indicate the successful decoding of at least one TB at the UE, and related support information prepared by the UE, wherein the support information includes information relating to transmission parameters different from the corresponding transmission parameters used to transmit at least one successfully decoded TB; To support the successful decoding of one or more next TBs in the UE, trigger one or more actions related to one or more next TBs based on supporting information. To allow the network node to have at least one memory and It is equipped with.

[0029] In some examples, network nodes are Resource radio control, RRC, and sending messages to the UE to configure support information and to indicate to the UE to send support information to the network node if at least one TB is successfully decoded at the UE. This makes me want to do it even more.

[0030] In some examples, network nodes are Sending a first control element to the UE for indicating the determination of first transmission parameters for constructing first support information, and in particular for indicating the UE to send the first support information to a network node if at least one TB is successfully decoded at the UE; After receiving the first support information, a second control element is sent to the UE to indicate the determination of second transmission parameters for constructing the second support information, and to indicate to the UE to send the second support information to the network node, in particular if the decoding of at least one TB at the UE is successful. Furthermore, The first transmission parameters are different from the second support information, and the gNB is configured to transmit the first and second control elements based on the information in the gNB related to at least one TB.

[0031] In some examples, network nodes are Performing one or more transmissions related to subsequent TBs using at least one transmission parameter indicated by the UE via support information, wherein at least one determined transmission parameter is different from the corresponding transmission parameter used for the transmission of at least one successfully decoded TB. It is configured to do so.

[0032] In some examples, the transmission parameters relate to at least one of the following: the number of retransmissions required for successful decoding of the TB at the UE, the modulation and coding scheme, the MCS, and the rank.

[0033] In some cases, the support information indicates that one or more subsequent TBs should be transmitted using a modified modulation and encoding scheme different from the initial MCS used for the successful transmission of at least one TB, and the network node should... Send one or more subsequent TBs using the modified MCS. If you receive an indication from the UE of an MCS index offset that results in a maximum MCS index equal to the sum of the offset values ​​for the initial transmission's MCS, then send one or more subsequent TBs using a modified MCS that is less than or equal to the indicated maximum MCS index. This makes me want to do it even more.

[0034] In some examples, network nodes are further compelled to configure the UE with the maximum allowed number of retransmissions required for successful decoding of TB in the UE. Support information indicates a reduction in the maximum allowed number of retransmissions for one or more next TBs, and network nodes are further compelled to reduce the maximum allowed number of retransmissions for one or more next TBs.

[0035] In some cases, the support information indicates that one or more subsequent TBs should be sent using a modified rank different from the initial rank used for the successful transmission of at least one TB, and the network node will... Send one or more subsequent TBs using the corrected rank. If the UE receives an indication of the highest rank, send one or more subsequent TBs using a modified rank that is less than or equal to the indicated highest rank. This makes me want to do it even more.

[0036] According to yet another aspect of this disclosure, a system is provided which is configured to perform a Hybrid Automated Resend Request, HARQ, process, and the system User equipment, UE and, according to any one of the embodiments relating to the above aspects relating to the UE, For example, a network node according to any one of the embodiments relating to the above aspects relating to a network node It is equipped with.

[0037] According to yet another aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided for user equipment, UE, configured to support the Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request, HARQ, process when communicating with a network node of a wireless access network, the method is Establishing a connection to the network node, Receiving at least one transport block, TB, from the network node, To decode at least one received TB, perform a cyclic redundancy check, CRC, If the decoding success is detected by determining that at least one received TB has passed the CRC inspection, prepare supporting information. To enable network nodes to trigger one or more actions related to the next TB based on support information, information to indicate success and support information are sent to the network nodes. Includes, The UE is further configured to determine at least one transmit parameter based on the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, SINR, and measurements performed by the UE, if success is detected, and the at least one determined transmit parameter is different from the corresponding transmit parameter used for the transmission of at least one TB that was successfully decoded. The UE is further configured to include information related to at least one determined different transmission parameter in the supporting information.

[0038] According to yet another aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided for a network node of a radio access network configured to support the Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request, HARQ, process when communicating with user equipment, UE, and the method is Establishing a connection to the UE, Sending at least one transport block, TB, to the UE, Receiving from the UE information to indicate the successful decoding of at least one TB at the UE, and related support information prepared by the UE, wherein the support information includes information relating to transmission parameters different from the corresponding transmission parameters used to transmit at least one successfully decoded TB; To support the successful decoding of one or more next TBs in the UE, trigger one or more actions related to one or more next TBs based on supporting information. Includes.

[0039] According to yet another aspect of this disclosure, a computer program is provided which includes instructions for causing a device to perform any one of the methods described above.

[0040] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a memory is provided for storing computer-readable instructions for causing a device to perform any one of the methods described above.

[0041] Furthermore, according to some exemplary embodiments, a UE is provided comprising appropriate means configured to carry out each of the steps as disclosed herein.

[0042] Furthermore, according to some exemplary embodiments, a network node is provided having appropriate means configured to carry out each of the steps disclosed herein.

[0043] Furthermore, according to several other embodiments, for example, a computer program product is provided for a wireless communication device having at least one processor, the computer program product including a software code portion for performing each of the steps disclosed herein when the product is executed on the device. The computer program product may include a computer-readable medium in which the software code portion is stored. In addition, the computer program product may be directly loadable into the internal memory of a computer and / or transmit over a network by at least one of upload, download, and push procedures.

[0044] The invention / use of the supporting information is applicable in different circumstances, for example, by using one of the examples described, or by using two or more of the combined examples, or in the case of other examples, and therefore independently of the examples listed.

[0045] While several exemplary embodiments are described herein with reference to the uses described above, it will be recognized that this disclosure is not limited to such uses and is applicable in a broader context.

[0046] In particular, it should be understood that the methods described herein relate to methods for operating the apparatus in accordance with the exemplary embodiments and variations thereof, and that each description made relating to the apparatus also applies to the corresponding methods, and vice versa; therefore, for the sake of brevity, similar descriptions may be omitted. Furthermore, the above embodiments may be combined in many ways, even if not expressly disclosed. Those skilled in the art will understand that these combinations of embodiments and features / steps are possible, as long as they do not create a conflict that is explicitly excluded.

[0047] Implementation of the disclosed apparatus may include, but is not limited to, the use of one or more processors, one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and / or one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). Implementation of the apparatus may also include the use of other conventional and / or customized hardware, such as software-programmable processors, including graphics processing unit (GPU) processors.

[0048] Other and further exemplary embodiments of this disclosure will become apparent in the course of the following discussion and by reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0049] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described herein by reference only, with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0050] [Figure 1] This section outlines a high-level block diagram example of a data flowchart for an example where several IP packets from different RBs are multiplexed into a single MAC PDU and then scheduled into a single TB. [Figure 2] An example of a signaling / messaging diagram according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is schematically described below. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0051] In the following, different illustrative embodiments will be described using a communication network architecture based on 3GPP standards for communication networks such as 5G / NR, as an example of a communication network to which the embodiments may be applied, but the embodiments are not limited to such architectures. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments can also be applied to other types of communication networks that integrate mobile communication principles with D2D (device-to-device) or V2X (vehicle-to-anything) configurations such as SL (sidelink), such as systems using Wi-Fi, Global Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Bluetooth®, Personal Communication Services (PCS), ZigBee®, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology, Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANET), wired access, etc. Furthermore, without loss of generality, although the description of some examples of embodiments relates to mobile communication networks, the principles of disclosure can be extended and applied to any other type of communication network, such as wired communication networks.

[0052] The following examples and embodiments should be understood as illustrative examples only. While this specification may refer to “an,” “one,” or “some” examples or embodiments in some places, this does not necessarily mean that such references relate to the same example or embodiment, or that features apply only to a single example or embodiment. A single feature of different embodiments may be combined to provide other embodiments. Furthermore, the terms “comprising” and “including” should be understood not to be limited to the examples described being composed solely of those features mentioned, and such examples and embodiments may also include features, structures, units, modules, etc., that are not specifically mentioned.

[0053] A basic system architecture of a (electrical) communications network, including a mobile communications system to which several examples of embodiments may apply, may include the architecture of one or more communications networks, including a radio access network subsystem and a core network. Such an architecture may include one or more communication network control elements or functions, access network elements, radio access network elements, access service network gateways, or base transceiver stations, which are, for example, base stations (BS), access points (AP), NodeBs (NB), eNBs, or gNBs, distributed units (DUs), or centralized / centralized units (CUs), which control their respective coverage areas or cells, and which enable one or more communication stations (which are, for example, communication elements or functions (e.g., user devices or terminal devices, e.g., user equipment (UEs)) or other devices with similar functions (e.g., modem chipsets, chips, modules) (which can also be part, elements, functions, or applications of a station capable of communication (e.g., UEs, elements or functions usable in machine-to-machine communication architectures))) to communicate over one or more channels via one or more communication beams for transmitting several types of data across multiple access domains. Furthermore, it may include core network elements or network functions such as gateway network elements / functions, mobility management entities, mobile switching centers, servers, and databases.

[0054] The following description may provide further details on alternatives, modifications, and variations, including, for example, gNB providing NR user plane and control plane protocol termination toward UE, and including nodes connected to 5GC via the NG interface according to, for example, 3GPP TS 38.300 V16.6.0 (2021-06) section 3.2 incorporated by reference.

[0055] The gNB Central Unit (gNB-CU) comprises, for example, logical nodes that host the gNB RRC, SDAP, and PDCP protocols, or the en-gNB RRC and PDCP protocols, which control the operation of one or more gNB-DUs. The gNB-CU terminates the F1 interface connected to the gNB-DUs.

[0056] A gNB distributed unit (gNB-DU) comprises logical nodes that host, for example, the RLC, MAC, and PHY layers of a gNB or en-gNB, and its operation is partially controlled by a gNB-CU. A single gNB-DU supports one or more cells. A single cell is supported by only one gNB-DU. A gNB-DU terminates an F1 interface connected to a gNB-CU.

[0057] The gNB-CU control plane (gNB-CU-CP) comprises, for example, a logical node that hosts the control plane portion of the RRC and PDCP protocols for the gNB-CU for en-gNB or gNB. The gNB-CU-CP terminates the E1 interface connected to the gNB-CU-UP and the F1-C interface connected to the gNB-DU.

[0058] The gNB-CU-UserPlane (gNB-CU-UP) comprises, for example, a logical node that hosts the user plane portion of the gNB-CU's PDCP protocol for en-gNB and the user plane portions of the gNB-CU's PDCP protocol and SDAP protocol for gNB. The gNB-CU-UP terminates the E1 interface connected to the gNB-CU-CP and the F1-U interface connected to the gNB-DU, for example, according to 3GPP TS 38.401 V16.6.0 (2021-07) section 3.1 incorporated by reference.

[0059] Different functional divisions are possible between the central unit and the distributed unit, and the following options are suggested, for example: Option 1 (1A Similar Partitioning): • The functional partitioning in this option is similar to the 1A architecture in a data center. The RRC is located in the central unit. The PDCP, RLC, MAC, physical layer, and RF are located in the distributed units. Option 2 (3C Similar Partitioning): • The functional partitioning in this option is similar to the 3C architecture in a data center. RRC and PDCP are in the central unit. RLC, MAC, physical layer, and RF are in the distributed units. Option 3 (RLC internal splitting): Low RLC (some RLC functions), MAC, physical layer, and RF are located in the distributed unit. PDCP and high RLC (other RLC functions) are located in the central unit. Option 4 (RLC-MAC splitting): MAC, physical layer, and RF are located in the distributed unit. PDCP and RLC are located in the central unit. Alternatively, follow, for example, 3GPP TR 38.801 V14.0.0 (2017-03) section 11, which is incorporated by reference.

[0060] gNB supports different protocol layers, such as Layer 1 (L1) - the physical layer.

[0061] NR Layer 2 (L2) is divided into the following sublayers: Media Access Control (MAC), Radio Link Control (RLC), Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), and Service Data Adaptation Protocol (SDAP), for example, The physical layer provides a transport channel to the MAC sublayer. The MAC sublayer provides logical channels to the RLC sublayer. The RLC sublayer provides an RLC channel to the PDCP sublayer. The PDCP sublayer provides wireless bearers to the SDAP sublayer. The SDAP sublayer provides a 5GC QoS flow. • Comp. refers to header compression, and Segm. refers to segmentation. The control channels include (BCCH, PCCH).

[0062] Layer 3 (L3) includes, for example, Radio Resource Control (RRC) according to section 6 of 3GPP TS 38.300 V16.6.0 (2021-06), which is incorporated by reference.

[0063] A RAN (Radio Access Network) node or network node, such as a gNB, base station, gNB CU, or gNB DU, or a part thereof, may be implemented using, for example, a device having at least one processor and / or at least one memory (having computer-readable instructions (computer programs)), configured to support and / or provide and / or process at least one protocol (sub)layer of the RAN (Radio Access Network), such as Layer 2 and / or Layer 3.

[0064] gNB CUs and gNB DUs may, for example, be jointly installed or physically separate. A gNB DU may be further divided into, for example, two parts, such as a part containing processing equipment and a part containing antennas. A central unit (CU) may also be referred to as a BBU / REC / RCC / C-RAN / V-RAN, O-RAN, or a part thereof. A distributed unit (DU) may also be referred to as an RRH / RRU / RE / RU, or a part thereof. In various embodiments of this disclosure, a CU-CP (or more generally a CU) may also be referred to as a (first) network node supporting at least one of the central unit control plane functions or Layer 3 protocols of the radio access network. Similarly, a DU may also be referred to as a (second) network node supporting at least one of the distributed unit functions or Layer 2 protocols of the radio access network.

[0065] The gNB-DU supports one or more cells and can therefore function as a serving cell for, for example, user equipment or a UE.

[0066] User equipment (UE) may include wireless or mobile devices, devices having a wireless interface for interacting with a RAN (Radio Access Network), smartphones, in-vehicle devices, IoT devices, or M2M devices. Such UE or device may comprise at least one processor and at least one memory containing computer program code, the at least one memory and computer program code configured to cause the device to perform certain operations, such as making an RRC connection to the RAN, using at least one processor. The UE is configured, for example, to generate messages (including, for example, a cell ID) that are transmitted wirelessly to the RAN (for example, to reach a serving cell and communicate). The UE may generate, transmit, and receive RRC messages that contain one or more RRC PDUs (Packet Data Units).

[0067] UE may have different states (for example, according to 3GPP TS 38.331 V16.5.0 (2021-06) sections 42.1 and 4.4 incorporated by reference).

[0068] For example, when an RRC connection is established, the UE is in either the RRC_CONNECTED state or the RRC_INACTIVE state.

[0069] In the RRC_CONNECTED state, the UE is: • You may store the AS context. You may transfer unicast data to / from the UE. You may monitor the control channel associated with the shared data channel to determine whether data is scheduled for the data channel. • Channel quality and feedback information may be provided. • Measurements of adjacent cells and measurement reports may be performed.

[0070] The RRC protocol includes, for example, the following key features: • RRC connection control, • Measurement configuration and reporting, • Establishment / modification / deactivation of measurement configurations (e.g., intra-frequency measurement, inter-frequency measurement, inter-RAT measurement), • Setting up and releasing the measurement gap, ·Measurement report.

[0071] The general functions and interconnections of the elements and functions described, which also depend on the actual network type, are known to those skilled in the art and are described in the corresponding specifications; therefore, for the sake of brevity, detailed descriptions thereof may be omitted in this specification. However, it should be noted that several additional network elements and signaling links may be used for communication to or from elements, functions, or applications, in addition to those described in detail below in this specification, such as communication network control elements such as communication endpoints, servers, gateways, and wireless network controllers, and other elements of the same or other communication networks.

[0072] A communication network architecture, such as those considered in the examples of embodiments, may also be capable of communicating with other networks, such as public switched telephone networks or the Internet. The communication network may also support the use of cloud services for virtual network elements or their functions, and it should be noted that the virtual network portion of a telecommunications network may also be provided by non-cloud resources, such as internal networks. It should be recognized that network elements, such as access systems and core networks, and / or their respective functions, may be implemented using any nodes, hosts, servers, access nodes, or entities suitable for such use. Generally, network functions may be implemented as network elements on dedicated hardware, as software instances running on dedicated hardware, or as virtualized functions instantiated on an appropriate platform, such as a cloud infrastructure.

[0073] Furthermore, network elements (such as communication elements, e.g., UEs), terminal devices, control elements or functions (such as access network elements, e.g., base stations / BS, gNBs), wireless network controllers, core network control elements or functions (such as gateway elements), or other network elements or functions as described herein, and any other elements, functions, or applications may be implemented by software, for example, by computer program products for computers, and / or by hardware. The devices, nodes, functions, or network elements used in conjunction to perform each of these operations may include several means, modules, units, components, etc. (not shown) necessary for control, processing, and / or communication / signaling functions. Such means, modules, units, and components include, for example, one or more processors or processor units including one or more processing parts for executing instructions and / or programs and / or processing data; storage or memory units or means for storing instructions, programs and / or data, which function as workspaces for the processor or processing part (e.g., ROM, RAM, and EEPROM); input or interface means for inputting data and instructions by software (e.g., floppy disks, CD-ROMs, and EEPROMs); user interfaces for providing the user with the ability to monitor and operate (e.g., screens and keyboards); and other interfaces or means for establishing links and / or connections under the control of the processor unit or part (e.g., wired and wireless interface means, wireless interface means including antenna units, etc., means for forming a wireless communication unit, etc.), where each means forming an interface such as a wireless communication unit may also be installed on a remote site (e.g., a wireless head or radio station, etc.).It should be noted that, in this specification, a processing portion may be considered not only as representing a physical part of one or more processors, but also as a logical division of the processing task mentioned, performed by one or more processors. It should be recognized that, in some examples, a so-called “fluid” or flexible network concept may be used, where the operation and functionality of network elements, network functions, or other entities of the network may be performed in a flexible manner within different entities or functions, such as within nodes, hosts, or servers. In other words, the “division of labor” between the network elements, functions, or entities involved may vary on a case-by-case basis.

[0074] This application relates to more detailed Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request (HARQ) responses to enable more efficient use of radio resources for future transmissions. We focus on assisting in cases where simple positive HARQ feedback would otherwise be signaled. In fact, using the current standard for HARQ responses (e.g., 3GPP TS 38.321 V17.3.0 (2022-12) section 5.3.2), a UE is allowed to send a single bit (1: ACK or 0: NACK) to inform the gNB of the result of receiving a certain transport block (TB). On the UE side, feedback is generated and reported to the gNB depending on the output of the Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) check. One common drawback of using single-bit feedback is that it omits additional information about the quality of the TB transmission. In other words, if the gNB receives an ACK bit as HARQ feedback, there is only limited guidance to inform the gNB how to proceed. More information would answer different questions, e.g., 1. Should the same modulation and coding scheme (MCS) be used for the next TB transmission? 2. To avoid failure, should gNB use a different configuration for the next transmission? This could provide guidance on the matter.

[0075] Therefore, in order to guide gNB towards a better future data transmission strategy, it is necessary to propose a new method in which positive HARQ feedback information is complemented by supporting information (sent only when certain conditions are met). These conditions are configured to avoid extraneous overload in signaling.

[0076] Before proceeding to details of exemplary embodiments of this disclosure, it may be useful to provide a brief description from a high / abstract level that may serve as a basis for understanding the underlying technologies (and terminology used herein) that may be described herein. However, as indicated above, the technologies described herein may be applicable to several other possible technologies, for example, with appropriate / suitable adaptations as they may be understood and recognized by those skilled in the art.

[0077] Drawings are referenced here. In particular, it should be noted that the same or similar reference numerals used in the drawings of this disclosure may refer to the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated, and therefore, for reasons of brevity, repeated descriptions thereof may be omitted.

[0078] Figure 1 schematically illustrates a high-level block diagram of a data flowchart for an example where several IP packets from different RBs are multiplexed into a single MAC PDU and then scheduled into a single TB. This diagram conforms to 3GPP TS 38.300 V17.3.0 (2022-12) section 6.6.

[0079] The current 5G NR specification includes an option for multiplexing different IP packets and data from different RBs into a single MAC PDU, as described in Error! Reference source not found. (see, for example, 3GPP TS 38.300 V17.3.0 (2022-12), section 6.6 overview). Before the actual transmission of the MAC PDU in a single transport block on the downlink physical layer, the following processing steps occur: 1. Add CRC to the transport block. 2. Code block segmentation and code block CRC addition, 3. Channel encoding: LDPC encoding, 4. Physical layer hybrid ARQ processing, 5. Rating Matching, 6. Scrambling, 7. Modulation: QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM, 256QAM, and 1024QAM. 8. Layer mapping, 9. Mapping of allocated resources to antenna ports. • 5G NR also supports an option using CBG-based HARQ transmission. CBG-based transmission is defined, for example, in Section 5.1.7 of 3GPP TS 38.214 V17.3.0 (2022-12), titled “Code block group based PDSCH transmission”. Details of HARQ feedback for CBG-based transmission are defined, for example, in section 9.1.1 of 3GPP TS 38.213 V17.3.0 (2022-12), titled “CBG-based HARQ-ACK codebook determination”. The mode of CBG-based transmission also appears, for example, in the MAC specification (3GPP TS 38.321 V17.3.0 (2022-12)). The basic principle is that a TB is organized into multiple CBs. The maximum size of a CB is 8448 bits. CBs are grouped into CBGs. For each TB received, the receiver provides feedback indicating which CBG is erroneous, and only the erroneously received CBG is subsequently retransmitted by the transmitter. Such a technique is promising for large TB-sized transmissions (for example, in the XR use case defined in 3GPP TR 38.838 V17.0.0 (2021-12)). The current NR specification supports cases with up to 8 CBGs per TB. More generally, the maximum number of CBGs per TB can be configured as C∈{2,4,6,8} for PDSCH.

[0080] The Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) is used to schedule DL transmissions on the PDSCH and UL transmissions on the PUSCH, and the Downlink Control Information (DCI) on the PDCCH is, for example, • At a minimum, the modulation and encoding formats related to DL-SCH, resource allocation, and downlink allocation including hybrid ARQ information, • Uplink scheduling grants including at least UL-SCH related modulation and encoding formats, resource allocation, and hybrid ARQ information. Includes.

[0081] It should be noted that there is only one DL scheduling grant per UE, per carrier and per codeword, and that it includes one modulation and encoding format (also known as MCS). The DCI format for DL ​​scheduling on PDSCHs supporting CBG transmission is Format 1_1 (see 3GPP TS 38.212 and 38.214 for details). There, the CBG transmission information (CBGTI) field determines the number of CBGs per TB, and the CBs will then be assigned to C groups (e.g., C∈{2,4,6,8}).

[0082] This application proposes using information available on the UE side after attempting to decode the TB in order to provide support information for guiding the gNB on how to proceed with future transmissions.

[0083] One major innovative step is configuring the sending of support information, preparing the support information, and signaling it to the network. In case of successful transmission and reception, if certain trigger conditions are valid at the UE (different individual options which may be combined whole or partially), 1. Notify the gNB to adjust the MCS using the delta_MCS value. This may be necessary if the initial transmission was sent using an overly conservative MCS, in which case the MCS may be adjusted to a higher index value. On the other hand, it may be lowered if future transmissions would fail using the current MCS (e.g., when the current transmission was very close to failure, or when many retries were used to achieve a successful transmission). Similar information can be conveyed by sending the SINR margin value instead of delta_MCS. Both values ​​(delta_MCS or SINR margin) are calculated in a way that guarantees a given block error rate. Therefore, it is particularly suggested that the UE should signal the gNB to use a modified MCS index different from the one used in the initial transmission of the TB that the UE successfully decoded. For example, if the initial TB transmission was sent using a very conservative (low) MCS, the UE can indicate that it would have decoded the TB if the SINR had been higher than +3dB. Therefore, the gNB can use this information to increase the MCS accordingly. Similarly, if the UE observes a 2dB decrease in SINR by measuring the channel and can indicate -2dB, the gNB will know that the MCS of the next TB should decrease, otherwise it is likely to fail. 2. We propose adjusting the maximum number of retransmissions (if available in the UE). Preferably, the gNB configures the UE with the maximum number of retransmissions allowed in the UE to successfully decode a TB in the UE. For example, the UE has successfully decoded at least one TB in this maximum number of retransmissions. Depending on the information in the UE after the successful decoding of at least one TB, the UE then indicates to the gNB to modify this configured maximum number of retransmissions. Here, the number of retransmissions is an integer greater than 1, and could be, for example, 2, 3, 4, ..., n. For example, if the UE indicates to the gNB that the maximum is 4, the gNB may choose three consecutive retransmissions, and for example, the UE sends an ACK or NACK to the gNB only after the third received retransmission. 3. Indicate the gNB with the maximum rank at which the TB could be decoded with a given block error probability target. In particular, it is proposed that the UE indicate the gNB to use a modified rank different from the rank used in the initial transmission of the TB that the UE successfully decoded.

[0084] Regarding trigger conditions: These consist of two main reasons: 1. To avoid extra overhead in signaling. For example, sending support information with every ACK response results in a significant amount of overhead and should be controlled. 2. To avoid sending statistically insufficient information. For example, a UE should not request an increase in MCS based solely on an ACK response.

[0085] Support information can be signaled via UCI in UL to guide gNB on how to proceed with the rest of the transmission.

[0086] In this application, when a UE successfully decodes, for example, at least one received TB, it means that the UE prepares at least one piece or unit of support information, i.e., one piece of support information includes one or more support information units. In particular, one support information unit is configured to indicate one determined transmission parameter (preferably different from, but the same as, the corresponding transmission parameter used for at least one successfully decoded TB) to be used for the next transmission to one or more subsequent TBs. Thus, one piece of support information may include one or more support information units that indicate the same respective transmission parameter, and further include one or more support information units that indicate a transmission parameter different from the transmission parameter used for at least one successfully decoded TB. The one or more support information units included in one piece of support information are preferably encoded into a message that is transmitted from the UE to the gNB when the UE successfully decodes at least one received TB. For example, the UE is configured to send an ACK and one or more separate support information units, or an ACK and support information to the gNB, and the ACK and each support information (unit) are encoded into a single common message sent to the gNB.

[0087] In this application, retransmission refers to the transmitter sending an exact copy of the first (initial) transmission, whether it failed or succeeded, whereas a new transmission may differ from the initial transmission (potentially having different characteristics such as different modulation and encoding). Another difference lies in the receiver's ability to combine the initial failed TB with the (re- / new) transmission. Conventional receivers can combine information only if a retransmission (same MCS) is sent, as it is an exact copy and the signals can be summed. This is not true for new transmissions, in which case the receiver can combine the new transmission, i.e., a new TB (with a different MCS), with the initial TB.

[0088] Whether a transmitter (i.e., a network node) initiates a retransmission or a new transmission can be indicated by a New Data Indicator (NDI). For example, an NDI set to 1 indicates a new transmission, while an NDI set to 0 indicates a retransmission. When the NDI is set to 1, the UE can clear the initially failed TB from its memory and try again with a new TB configuration.

[0089] Figure 2 shows the signaling diagram of the proposed support information scheme.

[0090] Step S1: The gNB sends an RRC message to configure the support information. 1. Support information is enabled for each or a set of consecutive successful receptions. Furthermore, new rules (shown in CONDITION in Figure 2) may be defined to determine when to trigger support information, such as the number of consecutive successful transmissions or when the channel condition deteriorates (the UE anticipates a NACK for the next TB), and these may be quantified based on measured SINR or other channel quality measurement metrics. 2. The format of the support information provided is configured so that the UE can send the required number of retransmissions (reTX), a new MCS for the new transmission, and a new MIMO rank for the next data transmission. Subsequently, during the established connection, the UE learns that, in the case of an ACK, it must pre-send the specified support information via an RRC message.

[0091] The gNB may be additionally or alternatively configured to send specific support information (units) to the UE to indicate to the UE that it should send specific transmission parameters (indications for which it has been determined) to the gNB. For example, the gNB may configure the UE to send support information about rank and then decide to request the UE to include information about the MCS index based on information available in the gNB, such as at least one transmitted TB and channel state.

[0092] Step S2: gNB is when the New Data Indicator (NDI) is 1 and the MCS Index is MCS i TB j Send the scheduling DCI for that along with other scheduling information.

[0093] Step S3: gNB is scheduled TB j Send this over the PDSCH channel.

[0094] Step S4: The UE receives the TB and attempts to decode it based on the contents of the DCI.

[0095] Step S5: If reception is successful, the UE sends an ACK message (as legacy).

[0096] Step S6: If the conditions for triggering support information are valid, the UE calculates them (based on RRC configuration or any other session setup information from the network) (in at least one of the following ways): Option 1: This information may be in the form of a request to the gNB to modify the current MCS index. This could indicate increasing the index when being very conservative. In another embodiment, the UE could report the maximum MCS index at which a TB could have been decoded with a given block error rate target. Similarly, the UE could request to decrease the MCS index when it is expected that the next TB will fail using the current MCS. Option 2: It also includes information suggesting reducing the maximum number of reTX (if available in the UE), or any other helpful information to assist gNB with future transmissions. Option 3: The UE can indicate the highest rank that could have been achieved to decode the TB with a given block error rate target. This value may be higher than the initial TB rank if the initial transmission was too conservative, or lower if NACKs are expected in future TB transmissions.

[0097] More information regarding the UE procedure will be discussed in the UE procedure for step S6.

[0098] In particular, the configuration provided by this application may allow the UE to decide to prepare support information only when certain criteria (e.g., the trigger conditions described above) are met, and therefore support information is not always prepared, and therefore not always sent with each ACK.

[0099] Furthermore, the UE may be configured to prepare assistance information based on other criteria such as a change in the situation or other transmission parameters more suitable for the UE, regardless of the success or failure of decoding at least one received TB. Therefore, the assistance information may be prepared and sent regardless of sending an ACK or NACK. Further, the UE can initiate a request to modify the assistance information. For example, if the UE is configured to send information only in the case of NACK, it can request to include the assistance information in the case of ACK as well. Such dynamic modification can be conveyed via control elements (which are unnecessary for RRC).

[0100] Step S7: The UE sends the calculated information in the UL (e.g., using UCI).

[0101] Step S8: The gNB may process the assistance information and use them for future TB transmissions. Details regarding the gNB procedure are discussed in the gNB procedure for Step S8.

[0102] ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​· Note: The UE can also use other information sources, such as the output of the TB decoder function, to determine the quality of the received successful TB. For example, in 5G NR, the output of a low-density parity-check (LDPC) decoder that gives a measure of how close the receiver is to fully decoding the TB can be used.

[0104] Here, for each of the three options described in step S6, the UE can continue as follows: Option 1) The UE can be configured with a (first) threshold T that indicates the minimum value of the excess received SINR that can trigger an MCS change. In other words, if newtx S > T, the UE can request the gNB to increase the MCS index for future transmissions in order to improve spectral efficiency. Similarly, using another (second) threshold R, if newtx S < R, the UE can request the gNB to decrease the MCS index. Option 2) Similar to Option 1, a (third) threshold Q can be used to trigger a recommendation from the UE to reduce the maximum number of retransmissions in the gNB. Thus, if newtx S > Q, the UE can request the gNB to decrease the number by 1 or any other value. In another embodiment, the UE may use a pre-defined function to calculate the new maximum number of necessary retransmissions. This can be

[0105]

Number

[0106] gNB procedure for step S8 The following is a list of possible steps in gNB based on the support information received and provided by the UE. 1. No Action Mode: gNB ignores UE recommendations and continues to follow conventional procedures. 2. Action Mode: In this case, the gNB adjusts the configuration for future TB transmissions, taking into account the UE's recommendations. For example, a recommended MCS (based on the offset-adjusted MCS obtained as a result of CQI and delta MCS support information) can be selected as a baseline for determining the best MCS for the next TB. Also, based on the UE's recommendations, N retx Alternatively, you can adjust the transmission rank value.

[0107] Additional Embodiments The above solution is readily applicable to CBG-based transmissions and HARQ feedback, as in Scenario 1, where a TB passing the CRC check means all CBGs pass the CRC check. In CBG-based transmissions, the UE's supporting information is for all CBGs. Specifically, the UE detects a successfully decoded CGB if all CBs belonging to that CBG pass the CRC check, and the UE detects a CBG that failed to be successfully decoded if at least one CB belonging to that CBG fails the CRC check.

[0108] In summary, the solution proposed in this application includes the following key innovative steps: • Configure the UE to send support information to induce a gNB during the retransmission process, and conditions to trigger its transmission. • Configure the UE to send support information to guide gNB for future transmissions, even if the TB transmission is successful. We propose several options for supporting information that can be used in gNB.

[0109] The solution proposed in this application provides the following technical advantages: In particular, for the case of ACK: Options 1 and 3: Adjusting the values ​​for appropriate MCS and transmit rank as early as possible can help improve spectral efficiency, reduce unnecessary retransmissions, and save on delay and downlink capacity. Option 2: Reconfiguring the maximum reTX may help gNB optimize its operation, reduce operational complexity, and save memory allocation for each HARQ process.

[0110] In the exemplary embodiments described above (referring to the drawings), messages communicated / exchanged between network components / elements may appear to have specific / explicit names depending on the various implementations (e.g., the underlying technology), but these messages may have different names and / or be communicated / exchanged in different forms / formats so as to be understandable and recognizable to those skilled in the art.

[0111] According to some exemplary embodiments, corresponding methods are also provided that are suitable for being performed by devices (network elements / components) such as UE, CU, DU, etc., as described above.

[0112] Nevertheless, it should be noted that the features of the devices described above correspond to the features of the respective methods, which may not be explicitly stated for reasons of brevity. The disclosure herein is also considered to extend to the features of such methods. In particular, this disclosure is understood to relate to methods for operating the devices described above, and / or to providing and / or arranging the respective elements of these devices.

[0113] Furthermore, according to some further exemplary embodiments, there are also provided each device (for example, performing a UE, CU, DU, etc. as described above) comprising at least one processing circuit and at least one memory for storing instructions to be performed by the processing circuit, wherein the at least one memory and instructions are configured to cause the at least one processing circuit to cause the at least one device to perform each of the steps described above.

[0114] Furthermore, in some other exemplary embodiments, there are provided each apparatus (for example, one that performs an UE, CU, DU, etc., as described above), each comprising respective means configured to perform at least each of the steps described above.

[0115] It should be noted that the examples of embodiments of this disclosure are applicable to a variety of different network configurations. In other words, the embodiments shown in the diagrams described above, which are used as the basis for the examples discussed above, are merely illustrative and do not limit this disclosure in any way. That is, additional existing and proposed new functionalities available in the corresponding operating environments may be used in conjunction with the examples of embodiments of this disclosure based on the defined principles.

[0116] It should also be noted that the disclosed exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many ways using hardware and / or software configurations. For example, the disclosed embodiments may be implemented using dedicated hardware and / or hardware associated with executable software thereon. The components and / or elements in the figures are merely examples and do not limit the scope of use or functionality of any hardware, software, firmware, embedded logic components, or combinations of two or more such components that implement a particular embodiment of this disclosure.

[0117] It should be further noted that the descriptions and drawings are merely illustrative of the principles of this disclosure. Those skilled in the art will be able to implement various arrangements that embody the principles of this disclosure and that fall within its spirit and scope, although not expressly described or shown herein. Furthermore, all examples and embodiments outlined herein are expressly intended solely for illustrative purposes, primarily to help the reader understand the principles of the proposed methods. Moreover, all descriptions herein providing the principles, aspects, and embodiments of this disclosure, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass their equivalents.

[0118] The technical features of the present invention in the exemplary embodiments described above may be combined with or applied to at least one of the following further embodiments relating to, for example, code blocks, CBs, inter-device or sidelink communications, UE capabilities and assistance configurations, and / or multicast. Generally, some of the embodiments may be combined in systems in which the HARQ process is used.

[0119] In further embodiments relating to code blocks, CB, the UE may be described as follows:

[0120] User equipment (UE) configured to support Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request (HARQ) processes when communicating with network nodes of a wireless access network, the UE comprises:

[0121] At least one processor, and

[0122] At least one memory to store instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause at least the following:

[0123] Establishing a connection to the network node,

[0124] At least one code block, CB, must be received from the network node.

[0125] Perform a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) to decode at least one received CB.

[0126] If successful decoding is detected by determining that at least one received CB has passed the CRC inspection, prepare supporting information.

[0127] To enable network nodes to trigger one or more subsequent CB-related actions based on supporting information, information to indicate success and supporting information are sent to the network nodes.

[0128] The UE is further configured to determine at least one transmit parameter based on the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, SINR, and measurements performed by the UE, if success is detected, and the at least one determined transmit parameter is different from the corresponding transmit parameter used for the transmission of at least one CB that was successfully decoded.

[0129] The UE is further configured to include information related to at least one determined different transmission parameter in the supporting information.

[0130] Generally, for example, 3GPP TS 38.300 V17.3.0 (2022.12) section 6.2.4 describes the relationship between HARQ and TB, stating that the HARQ function ensures delivery between peer entities at Layer 1. When the physical layer is not configured for downlink / uplink spatial multiplexing, a single HARQ process supports one TB, and when the physical layer is configured for downlink / uplink spatial multiplexing, a single HARQ process supports one or more TBs.

[0131] Furthermore, section 5.2.2 exemplifies physical layer processing for physical downlink shared channels, including CRC addition or both TB and CB.

[0132] The downlink physical layer processing of the transport channel consists of the following steps:

[0133] - Transport block CRC added,

[0134] - Code block segmentation and code block CRC addition,

[0135] -Channel encoding: LDPC encoding.

[0136] The principle of support information determination is applicable to both TB and CB, for example, when both TB and CB have their own CRCs, and relevant support information may be generated if a failure is determined in the CRC inspection. gNB is configured to determine or configure UEs regarding the use of support information, for example, generating support information at the TB level, for example, generating one piece of support information when at least one failed CB is identified and sending the support information with the TB's NACK, or for example, generating support information for the first failed CB and sending it with the CB (or CBG)'s NACK, but not generating or sending support information for any additional failed CBs of the TB in order to reduce overhead and redundancy.

[0137] Such UE may then be carried out in the environments shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0138] In further developments related to inter-device communication or side-link communication, the UE may be described as follows:

[0139] A user device (UE) configured to support Hybrid Auto-Retransmission Request, HARQ, process when communicating with another user device, wherein the UE comprises:

[0140] At least one processor, and

[0141] At least one memory location that, when executed by at least one processor, stores instructions that cause the UE to perform at least the following:

[0142] Establishing a wireless connection to another user's device via a direct link using device-to-device communication or side-link communication.

[0143] Receiving at least one transport block, TB and / or at least one code block, CB from another user device,

[0144] Perform a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) to decode at least one received TB and / or at least one CB.

[0145] When decoding success is detected by determining that at least one received TB and / or at least one CB has passed the CRC inspection, prepare the relevant supporting information.

[0146] To enable another user device to trigger one or more subsequent TB and / or CB-related actions based on relevant support information, to transmit information to indicate success and support information to another user device.

[0147] The UE is further configured to determine at least one transmit parameter based on the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, SINR, and measurements performed by the UE, if success is detected, and the determined at least one transmit parameter is different from the corresponding transmit parameter used for the transmission of at least one TB and / or at least one CB that was successfully decoded.

[0148] The UE is further configured to include information related to at least one determined different transmission parameter in the supporting information.

[0149] According to 3GPP TS 38.300 V17.3.0 (2022-12) section 5.7, an exemplary side-linking process is described in detail.

[0150] Sidelink supports direct communication between UEs using the following sidelink resource allocation modes, physical layer signals / channels, and physical layer procedures.

[0151] The two sidelink resource allocation modes support Mode 1 and Mode 2. In Mode 1, sidelink resource allocation is provided by the network. In Mode 2, the UE determines the SL transmit resources in the resource pool.

[0152] The Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH) indicates the resources and other transmission parameters used by the UE for the PSCCH. PSCCH transmissions are associated with DM-RS.

[0153] The Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH) transmits the TB data itself, as well as control information for HARQ procedures and CSI feedback triggers, etc. At least six OFDM symbols in the slot are used for PSSCH transmissions. PSSCH transmissions may be associated with DM-RS or PT-RS.

[0154] The Physical Sidelink Feedback Channel (PSFCH) transmits HARQ feedback via the sidelink from the UE that is the intended recipient of a PSSCH transmission to the UE that is performing the transmission. The PSFCH sequence is transmitted in a single PRB that is repeated across two OFDM symbols near the end of the sidelink resource in the slot.

[0155] The sidelink synchronization signal consists of a sidelink primary synchronization signal and a sidelink secondary synchronization signal (S-PSS, S-SSS), each occupying 2 symbols and 127 subcarriers, respectively. The physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH), including its associated DM-RS, occupies 9 symbols for a normal CP and 5 symbols for an extended CP.

[0156] Sidelink HARQ feedback uses a PSFCH and can be operated in one of two options. In one option, which can be configured for unicast and groupcast, the PSFCH sends either an ACK or a NACK using a resource dedicated to a single PSFCH transmitting UE. In the other option, which can be configured for groupcast, the PSFCH sends a NACK and no PSFCH signal is transmitted over a resource that can be shared by multiple PSFCH transmitting UEs.

[0157] In sidelink resource allocation mode 1, a UE that receives a PSFCH can report sidelink HARQ feedback to the gNB via PUCCH or PUSCH.

[0158] In addition to sidelink HARQ feedback, support information may be included. Depending on the configuration, dedicated resources will be allocated to send NACKs and support information.

[0159] Such UE may then be carried out in the environments shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0160] In further developments related to UE capabilities and support configurations, the UE may be described as follows:

[0161] User equipment (UE) configured to support Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request (HARQ) processes when communicating with network nodes of a wireless access network, the UE comprises the following:

[0162] At least one processor, and

[0163] At least one memory location that, when executed by at least one processor, stores instructions that cause the UE to perform at least the following:

[0164] Establishing a connection to the network node,

[0165] Receiving UE capability requests from network nodes,

[0166] Sending UE capability information to a network node, including the UE's ability to send support information when it detects the successful decoding of at least one received data packet, wherein at least one data packet includes, in particular, a transport block, TB and / or a code block, CB.

[0167] When the UE supports sending support information, it receives a configuration message from the network node that includes configuration related to the use of the support information.

[0168] If successful decoding of at least one received data packet is detected, prepare relevant support information based on the configuration.

[0169] To enable network nodes to trigger actions related to one or more subsequent data packets based on the support information, information to indicate detected success and prepared related support information are sent to the network nodes.

[0170] The UE is further configured to include in the support information information information related to at least one transmit parameter different from the corresponding transmit parameter used to transmit at least one data packet that was successfully decrypted.

[0171] Such UE may then be carried out in the environments shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0172] In further developments related to multicast and / or transmission on PUCCH or PUCCH, the UE is described as follows:

[0173] Generally, for example, 3GPP TS 38.300 V17.3.0 (2022-12) section 7.2 describes protocol states including RRC_CONNECTED:

[0174] -5GC-NG-RAN connection (both C / U planes) is established to the UE.

[0175] -UE AS context is stored in NG-RAN and UE.

[0176] -NG-RAN knows the cell to which UE belongs.

[0177] - Transfer unicast data to / from UE,

[0178] - Transfer of MBS multicast / broadcast data to UE via MRB,

[0179] - Network-controlled mobility, including measurement.

[0180] Therefore, the RRC connection state is used, in particular, to transmit data by using data packets. A data packet may contain at least one of the following: data, unicast data, multicast data, broadcast data, TB, CB, CBG, etc.

[0181] In multicast services, gNB may deliver multicast MBS data packets using the following methods:

[0182] -PTP transmission: The gNB independently delivers a separate copy of the MBS data packet to each UE, i.e., the gNB schedules a UE-specific PDSCH scrambled with the same UE-specific RNTI, using a UE-specific PDCCH with a CRC scrambled with the same UE-specific RNTI (e.g., C-RNTI).

[0183] -PTM transmission: The gNB delivers a single copy of the MBS data packet to a set of UEs, for example, the gNB schedules a group-common PDSCH scrambled with the same group-common RNTI using a group-common PDCCH with a CRC scrambled with the same group-common RNTI (see section 16.10.5.4).

[0184] Furthermore, the CFR configured by the RRCReconfiguration message is limited to the same numerical value as the DL BWP and is defined for multicast scheduling as an "MBS frequency domain" having the same number of consecutive PRBs, and multicast scheduling may have specific characteristics (e.g., PDCCH, PDSCH, SPS configuration).

[0185] Two HARQ-ACK reporting modes are defined for MBS:

[0186] - In the first HARQ-ACK reporting mode, the UE generates HARQ-ACK information with an ACK value when it correctly decodes the transport block or detects a DCI format that indicates an SPS PDSCH release; otherwise, the UE generates HARQ-ACK information with a NACK value.

[0187] - In the second HARQ-ACK reporting mode, the UE does not send a PUCCH which will only contain HARQ-ACK information with an ACK value.

[0188] HARQ-ACK feedback for multicast can be enabled or disabled by the higher-layer configuration per G-RNTI or per G-CS-RNTI, and / or by indications in the DCI that schedule multicast transmissions. See, for example, section 16.10.5.7.

[0189] Therefore, the gNB may be configured to enable HARQ-ACK feedback for multicast, and along with it, the enabling of support information may also be configured. For example, a new HARQ-ACK reporting mode may be added in which the UE generates HARQ-ACK information along with support information when the UE incorrectly decodes a transport block (failed TB), a failed CB, or a failed CBG.

[0190] Furthermore, HARQ ACK feedback may generally be configured to be sent using PUCCH or PUSCH. For example, IE BWP-UplinkDedicated is used to configure dedicated (UE-specific) parameters for uplink BWPs (see, for example, 3GPP TS 38.331 V17.3.0 (2022-12) section 6.3.2 Radio resource control information element - BWP-Uplink dedicated). pucch-ConfigurationListMulticast2 may configure two simultaneously constructed PUCCH configurations for NACK-only feedback for MBS multicast (see TS 38.213, clause 9), and therefore NACK-only feedback may be on PUCCH. NACK feedback may also be extended to include support information sent from the UE on PUCCH to help network nodes better select appropriate transmissions for retransmission, for example, failed data packets, TB, CB, etc. Such configurations may be added, for example, to MAC-CellGroupConfig. IE MAC-CellGroupConfig is used to configure MAC parameters for cell groups including DRX, and may include, for example, harq-FeedbackEnablerMulticast-r17 ENUMERATED {dci-enabler, enabled} OPTIONAL, -- Need and harq-FeedbackOptionMulticast-r17 ENUMERATED {ack-nack, nack-only} OPTIONAL, -- Cond HARQFeedback, and may further include assistance configurations.

[0191] For example, uplink scheduling is described as an example, according to 3GPP TS 38.300 V17.3.0 (2022-12) section 10.3.

[0192] On the uplink, the gNB can dynamically allocate resources to the UE via the C-RNTI on the PDCCH. When its downlink receive is enabled (when configured, DRX-controlled activity), the UE constantly monitors the PDCCH to find grant candidates for uplink transmit. If a CA is configured, the same C-RNTI applies to all serving cells.

[0193] gNB can cancel a push send, repeated push sends, or an SRS send by a UE for another UE in a latency-critical transmission.

[0194] Furthermore, using the configured grants, the gNB can allocate uplink resources for initial HARQ transmission and HARQ retransmission to the UE.

[0195] The resources allocated in this manner can also be subsequently used to send support information.

[0196] For example, according to 3GPP TS 38.300 V17.3.0 (2022-12) section 5.2.5.4

[0197] Asynchronous Incremental Redundancy Hybrid ARQ is supported. The gNB provides HARQ-ACK feedback timing to the UE either dynamically in DCI or semi-statically in RRC configuration. HARQ-ACK feedback retransmission is supported by an extended dynamic codebook, and / or by using a one-shot trigger for HARQ-ACK transmissions to (i) all configured CC and HARQ processes within a PUCCH group, (ii) a configured subset of CC and / or HARQ processes within a PUCCH group, or (iii) dynamically induced HARQ-ACK feedback instances. In the case of HARQ-ACKs in SPS PDSCHs without associated PDCCHs, HARQ-ACK feedback may be deferred until the next available PUCCH transmission opportunity in the case of HARQ-ACK drops due to TDD-specific collisions.

[0198] The UE may be configured to receive code block group-based transmissions, which may be scheduled to be retransmitted to convey a subset of all code blocks in the TB.

[0199] The UE may also be configured in relation to support information in addition to HARQ-ACK feedback, and the configuration may include, for example, at least one of the following: timing, content, periodicity, applicability to a subset of failed CBs, and NACK (for example, since support information implies additional overhead and should be kept small, and the content of support information for multiple failed CBs of a TB may be identical due to the same available SNR signal measurement results, support information may be sent only for the first failed CB of a TB).

[0200] Such UE may then be carried out in the environments shown in Figures 1 and 2.

[0201] In further embodiments, support information capabilities may be added to UE capabilities. For example, according to 3GPP TS 38.300 V17.3.0 (2022-12) section 7.5, a UE reports its UE radio access capability, which is static at least when requested by the network. A gNB may request capabilities to be reported to the UE based on bandwidth information. UE capabilities can be represented by capability IDs, which can be replaced in NAS signaling over radio or in network signaling instead of the UE capability structure.

[0202] Further details on how a UE compiles and transmits its UE capability information when it receives a UECapabilityEnquiry from the network are described, for example, in section 5.6. The network initiates a procedure for a UE when that UE, which is in RRC_CONNECTED, requires (additional) UE radio access capability information.

[0203] If the UE is in a delay-sensitive communication such as XR or Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC), the gNB may request a support indication from the UE. In this case, the UE should configure the content of the UECapabilityInformation message to include its ability to support support information in the case of HARQ. Thus, the gNB can configure the generation and provision of support information depending on the radio conditions, for example, and in bad conditions, it may be beneficial to receive customized support information to increase throughput and ensure reliability. The UE may then suggest to the gNB more suitable transmit parameters to be used when retransmitting a failed TB, for example, in the case of receiving a failed TB. The UE is in a favorable position to calculate appropriate transmit parameters based on the signal-to-interference plus noise ratio, SINR, and measurements performed by the UE. The appropriate adapted transmission parameters or related information are then sent to the gNB along with the NACK signal, which represents fast feedback and allows the gNB to quickly adjust not only the retransmission of failed TBs but also potentially other transmissions, such as new TBs and / or new CBs, so that not only can failed TBs be quickly recovered but the successful decoding of newly received TBs is also increased.

[0204] User equipment (UE) configured to support Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request (HARQ) processes when communicating with network nodes of a wireless access network, the UE comprises:

[0205] At least one processor, and

[0206] At least one memory to store instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the UE to do at least the following:

[0207] Establishing a connection to the network node,

[0208] Receiving UE capability requests from network nodes,

[0209] Sending UE capability information to a network node, including the UE's ability to send support information when it detects the success and / or failure of decoding at least one received data packet, wherein at least one data packet includes, in particular, a transport block, TB and / or a code block, CB.

[0210] When the UE supports sending support information, it receives a configuration message from the network node that includes configuration related to the use of the support information.

[0211] When the success and / or failure of decoding at least one received data packet is detected, relevant support information is prepared based on the configuration.

[0212] To enable a network node to trigger an action related to at least one data packet sent based on the support information, the prepared support information is sent to the network node.

[0213] The UE is further configured to include in the support information information information relating to at least one transmit parameter different from the corresponding transmit parameter used to transmit at least one data packet that was successfully and / or unsuccessfully decrypted.

[0214] List of Abbreviations 5QI 5G QoS Identifier ACK (Acknowledgment) ARQ Automatic Resend Request BLER Block Error Rate CB Code Block CBG Code Block Group DL Downlink HARQ Hybrid ARQ IE Information Elements LA Link Adaptation MAC Media Access Control MCS Modulation and Coding Scheme NACK Negative Acknowledgment PDB Packet Delay Budget PDSCH Physical Downlink Shared Channel RB Radio Bearer RE Resource Element RRC Radio Resource Control TB Transport Block TBS TB Size TSC Time-Sensitive Communication UE User Equipment UL Uplink URLLC Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication QoS Quality of Service XR Extended Reality

Claims

1. User equipment (UE) configured to support the Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request (HARQ) process when communicating with network nodes of a wireless access network, At least one processor, At least one memory for storing instructions, wherein the instructions are executed by the at least one processor. To establish a connection to the aforementioned network node, Receiving at least one transport block, TB, from the network node, Performing a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) to decode at least one of the received TBs, When the success of the decoding is detected by determining that at least one of the received TBs has passed the CRC inspection, support information is prepared. To enable the network node to trigger one or more actions related to the next TB based on the support information, the information for indicating success and the support information are transmitted to the network node. To cause the UE to have at least one memory and Equipped with, The UE is further configured to determine at least one transmit parameter based on the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, SINR, measurement performed by the UE when the success is detected, wherein the at least one determined transmit parameter is different from the corresponding transmit parameter used for the transmission of the at least one TB that was successfully decoded. The UE is further configured to include information relating to at least one determined different transmission parameter in the support information.

2. The aforementioned UE is, When it is determined that at least one of the following trigger conditions is met, the support information is further prepared and transmitted to the network node, and the trigger conditions are: A predetermined number of consecutive receptions for the transmission of at least one TB are detected by the UE. The UE detects a predetermined number of consecutive successful decodings for the transmission of at least one TB, and Based on channel quality measurements performed by the UE when receiving and decoding the at least one TB, particularly based on the SINR measurement, the UE detects that, after receiving the at least one TB from the gNB, the measured channel quality value related to the channel state between the UE and the gNB falls below a predetermined channel quality threshold. The UE according to claim 1, including the following:

3. The UE according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transmission parameters relate to at least one of the number of retransmissions, modulation and coding scheme (MCS), and rank required for successful decoding of the TB in the UE.

4. The aforementioned UE is, The SINR value is measured for at least one of the received TBs, Calculate the difference between a pre-set decryptable SINR value and the measured SINR value, Based on the calculated SINR difference value, determine the at least one transmission parameter for the transmission of one or more subsequent TBs. Furthermore, In particular, the UE according to claim 3, wherein the UE is further made to indicate the calculated SINR difference value to the gNB in ​​order to indicate to the gNB to determine the at least one transmission parameter for the transmission of one or more subsequent TBs.

5. The aforementioned UE is, When it is detected that the number of retransmissions used for the at least one successfully decoded TB is greater than a predetermined retransmission threshold, the at least one transmission parameter for the transmission of the one or more next TB is determined. The UE described in claim 4 can be further made to do so.

6. The aforementioned transmission parameters are related to the MCS, and the aforementioned UE is, Indicating the network node via the support information to transmit one or more subsequent TBs using a modified MCS different from the initial MCS used for the successful transmission of the at least one TB. The UE according to claim 4 or 5, which can be further made to do so.

7. The aforementioned UE is, When it is determined that the calculated SINR difference value is greater than a first predetermined SINR threshold, the initial MCS index is increased, and the network node is indicated to transmit one or more subsequent TBs using the modified MCS having the increased index. Furthermore, The UE according to claim 6, wherein the first predetermined SINR threshold indicates a minimum SINR difference value for triggering the correction of the MCS.

8. The UE indicates to the network node the maximum MCS index on which the initial MSC can be modified in order to transmit the one or more subsequent TBs using the modified MCS. The UE according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the maximum MSC index is determined by the UE as the index in which the UE could have decoded the at least one received TB with a predetermined block error rate.

9. The aforementioned UE is, Preferably, when it is determined that the calculated SINR difference value is smaller than a second predetermined SINR threshold, and that decoding of one or more subsequent TBs would fail when transmitted by the gNB using the initial MCS, the index of the initial MCS is reduced, and the network node is instructed to transmit the one or more subsequent TBs using the modified MCS having the reduced index. Furthermore, In particular, the reduced MSC index is determined by the UE as the index in which the UE could have decoded the at least one received TB with a predetermined block error rate, according to claim 6.

10. The transmission parameter relates to the number of retransmissions required for successful decoding of the TB in the UE, the UE is comprised of the maximum allowable number of retransmissions required for successful decoding of the TB in the UE, and the UE is When it is determined that the calculated SINR difference value is greater than a third predetermined SINR threshold, the network node is instructed via the support information to reduce the maximum allowed number of retransmissions. The UE according to any one of claims 4 to 9, which can be made to do so.

11. The aforementioned UE is, Determining the maximum allowed number of reduced retransmissions based on a pre-configured function, wherein the pre-configured function includes input parameters including the calculated SINR difference value. The UE according to claim 10, further configured to do so.

12. The aforementioned transmission parameters are related to rank, and the UE is, Indicating the network node via the support information to transmit one or more subsequent TBs using a modified rank different from the initial rank used for the successful transmission of at least one TB. The UE according to any one of claims 4 to 11, which can be made to do even more.

13. The aforementioned UE is, When the calculated SINR difference value is determined to be greater than a fourth predetermined SINR threshold, the network node is instructed to increase the initial rank to the modified rank in order to transmit one or more subsequent TBs. Furthermore, The UE according to claim 12, wherein the fourth predetermined SINR threshold indicates the smallest SINR difference value for triggering the rank correction.

14. The aforementioned UE is, Indicating to a network node the maximum rank on which the initial rank can be modified to transmit one or more subsequent TBs using the modified rank, wherein the maximum rank is determined by the UE as the rank on which the UE could have decoded the at least one received TB with a predetermined block error rate. The UE according to claim 12 or 13, which can be further made to do so.

15. The aforementioned UE is, When it is determined that decoding of one or more subsequent TBs would fail if transmitted by the gNB using the initial rank, preferably when it is determined that the calculated SINR difference value is smaller than a fifth predetermined SINR threshold, the initial rank is reduced to the modified rank, and the network node is instructed to transmit one or more subsequent TBs using the modified rank. The UE according to claim 12, which can be made to do even more.

16. The received at least one TB includes a plurality of code block groups, CBGs, and the UE is, If it is determined that all of the aforementioned CBGs have been successfully decoded, then it is determined that at least one of the received TBs has passed the CRC check, wherein each CBG includes a plurality of code blocks, and the UE is further made to determine that the CBG has been successfully decoded when it is determined that all of the CBs contained in the CBG have passed the CRC check. Transmitting the support information for at least one TB to the network node. The UE according to any one of claims 1 to 15, which can be made to do so.

17. The UE according to any one of claims 1 to 16, further comprising the UE transmitting uplink channel information, the support information via the UCI.

18. User equipment (UE) configured to support the Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request (HARQ) process when communicating with network nodes of a wireless access network, At least one processor, At least one memory for storing instructions, wherein the instructions are executed by the at least one processor. To establish a connection to the aforementioned network node, Receiving at least one code block, CB, from the network node, Performing a cyclic redundancy check, CRC, to decode at least one of the received CBs, When the success of the decoding is detected by determining that at least one of the received CBs has passed the CRC inspection, support information is prepared. To enable the network node to trigger one or more subsequent actions related to CB based on the support information, the information for indicating success and the support information are transmitted to the network node. At least one memory and Equipped with, The UE is further configured to determine at least one transmit parameter based on the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, SINR, measurement performed by the UE when the success is detected, wherein the at least one determined transmit parameter is different from the corresponding transmit parameter used for the transmission of the at least one CB that was successfully decoded. The UE is further configured to include information relating to at least one determined different transmission parameter in the support information.

19. User equipment (UE) configured to support Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request (HARQ) processes when communicating with another user device, At least one processor, At least one memory for storing instructions, wherein the instructions are executed by the at least one processor. Establishing a wireless connection to the other user device via a direct link using inter-device communication or side-link communication. Receiving at least one transport block, TB and / or at least one code block, CB from the other user device, Performing a cyclic redundancy check, CRC, to decode the received at least one TB and / or at least one CB, When the success of the decoding is detected by determining that at least one received TB and / or at least one CB has passed the CRC inspection, the relevant support information is prepared. To enable the other user device to trigger one or more actions related to subsequent TBs and / or CBs based on the associated support information, the information for indicating success and the support information are transmitted to the other user device. At least one memory and Equipped with, The UE is further configured to determine at least one transmit parameter based on the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, SINR, measurement performed by the UE when the success is detected, wherein the at least one determined transmit parameter is different from the corresponding transmit parameter used for the transmission of at least one TB and / or at least one CB that was successfully decoded. The UE is further configured to include information relating to at least one determined different transmission parameter in the support information.

20. User equipment (UE) configured to support the Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request (HARQ) process when communicating with network nodes of a wireless access network, At least one processor, At least one memory for storing instructions, wherein the instructions are executed by the at least one processor. To establish a connection to the aforementioned network node, Receiving UE capability requests from the network node, Sending UE capability information to the network node, including the UE's ability to send support information when it detects the successful decoding of at least one received data packet, wherein at least one data packet includes, in particular, a transport block, TB and / or a code block, CB. When the UE supports sending support information, it receives a configuration message from the network node that includes the configuration related to the use of the support information, When the success of decoding the at least one received data packet is detected, relevant support information is prepared based on the configuration. To enable the network node to trigger an action related to one or more subsequent data packets based on the support information, the information for indicating the detected success and the prepared related support information are transmitted to the network node. At least one memory and Equipped with, The UE is further configured to include in the support information information related to at least one transmission parameter different from the corresponding transmission parameter used to transmit the at least one data packet that was successfully decoded.

21. User equipment (UE) configured to support the Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request (HARQ) process when communicating with network nodes of a wireless access network, At least one processor, At least one memory for storing instructions, wherein the instructions are executed by the at least one processor. To establish a connection to the aforementioned network node, Receiving UE capability requests from the network node, Sending UE capability information to the network node, including the UE's ability to send support information when it detects success and / or failure in decoding at least one received data packet, wherein at least one data packet includes, in particular, a transport block, TB and / or a code block, CB. When the UE supports sending the support information, it receives a configuration message from the network node that includes the configuration related to the use of the support information, When the success and / or failure of decoding the at least one received data packet is detected, relevant support information is prepared based on the configuration. To enable the network node to trigger an action related to at least one data packet sent based on the support information, the prepared support information is transmitted to the network node. At least one memory and Equipped with, The UE is further configured to include in the support information information related to at least one transmission parameter different from the corresponding transmission parameter used to transmit the at least one data packet that was decoded successfully and / or unsuccessfully.

22. A network node of a wireless access network configured to support Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request (HARQ) and processes when communicating with user equipment, UE, At least one processor, At least one memory for storing instructions, wherein the instructions are executed by the at least one processor. To establish a connection to the aforementioned UE, To transmit at least one transport block, TB, to the UE, Receiving from the UE information to indicate the success of decoding the at least one TB at the UE, and related support information prepared by the UE, wherein the support information includes information relating to transmission parameters different from the corresponding transmission parameters used for the transmission of the at least one successfully decoded TB. To support the successful decoding of the one or more subsequent TBs in the UE, trigger an action related to one or more subsequent TBs based on the support information. The network node has at least one memory and A network node equipped with these features.

23. The aforementioned network node is Sending resource radio control, RRC, and messages to the UE for configuring the support information and for indicating the UE to send the support information to the network node if the decoding of at least one TB in the UE is successful. The network node according to claim 22, which can further enable this.

24. The aforementioned network node is Transmitting a first control element to the UE for indicating the determination of first transmission parameters for configuring first support information, and in particular for indicating the UE to send the first support information to the network node if the decoding of at least one TB in the UE is successful, After receiving the first support information, a second control element is transmitted to the UE for indicating the determination of second transmission parameters for constructing second support information, and in particular for indicating the UE to send the second support information to the network node if the decoding of at least one TB at the UE is successful. Furthermore, The network node according to claim 22 or 23, wherein the first transmission parameters are different from the second support information, and the gNB is configured to transmit the first control element and the second control element based on information in the gNB relating to the at least one TB.

25. The aforementioned network node is Performing a transmission related to one or more subsequent TBs using at least one transmission parameter indicated by the UE via the support information, wherein at least one determined transmission parameter is different from the corresponding transmission parameter used for the transmission of the at least one successfully decoded TB. A network node according to any one of claims 22 to 24, configured to do the following.

26. The network node according to any one of claims 22 to 25, wherein the transmission parameters relate to at least one of the number of retransmissions, modulation and coding scheme, MCS, and rank required for successful decoding of the TB in the UE.

27. The support information indicates that the one or more subsequent TBs should be transmitted using a modified modulation and coding scheme different from the initial MCS used for the successful transmission of the at least one TB, and the network node, Using the modified MCS, transmit one or more subsequent TBs. If the UE receives an indication of an MCS index offset that results in a maximum MCS index equal to the sum of the offset values ​​for the MCS of the initial transmission, then transmit one or more subsequent TBs using the modified MCS which is less than or equal to the indicated maximum MCS index. The network node according to claim 26, which can be further enabled.

28. The network node is further configured to configure the UE with the maximum number of retransmissions allowed necessary for the successful decoding of the TB in the UE. The network node according to claim 26 or 27, wherein the support information indicates a reduction in the maximum allowed number of retransmissions for the one or more next TBs, and the network node is further caused to reduce the maximum allowed number of retransmissions for the one or more next TBs.

29. The support information indicates that the one or more subsequent TBs should be transmitted using a modified rank different from the initial rank used for the successful transmission of the at least one TB, and the network node, Using the modified rank, transmit the one or more subsequent TBs. If the highest rank indication is received from the UE, the UE shall transmit one or more subsequent TBs using the modified rank which is less than or equal to the indicated highest rank. A network node according to any one of claims 26 to 28, which can be further enabled.

30. A system configured to perform a hybrid automatic retransmission request, HARQ, process, User equipment, UE, according to any one of claims 1 to 21, A network node according to any one of claims 22 to 29 and A system equipped with these features.

31. A method for user equipment, UE, configured to support the Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request (HARQ) process when communicating with network nodes of a wireless access network, To establish a connection to the aforementioned network node, Receiving at least one transport block, TB, from the network node, Performing a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) to decode at least one of the received TBs, When the success of the decoding is detected by determining that at least one of the received TBs has passed the CRC inspection, support information is prepared. To enable the network node to trigger one or more actions related to the next TB based on the support information, the information for indicating success and the support information are transmitted to the network node. Includes, The UE is further configured to determine at least one transmit parameter based on the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, SINR, measurement performed by the UE when the success is detected, wherein the at least one determined transmit parameter is different from the corresponding transmit parameter used for the transmission of the at least one TB that was successfully decoded. The method wherein the UE is further configured to include information relating to at least one determined different transmission parameter in the support information.

32. A method for a network node of a radio access network configured to support the Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request (HARQ) process when communicating with user equipment, UE, To establish a connection to the aforementioned UE, To transmit at least one transport block, TB, to the UE, Receiving from the UE information to indicate the success of decoding the at least one TB at the UE, and related support information prepared by the UE, wherein the support information includes information relating to transmission parameters different from the corresponding transmission parameters used for the transmission of the at least one successfully decoded TB. To support the successful decoding of the one or more subsequent TBs in the UE, trigger an action related to one or more subsequent TBs based on the support information. Methods that include...

33. A computer program comprising instructions for causing an apparatus to perform the method according to claim 31 or 32.

34. A memory for storing computer-readable instructions for causing a device to carry out the method according to claim 31 or 32.

Images