PUCCH carrier switching

Abstract

A method for operating a network node is provided, the method including configuring a UE with a PUCCH group including a plurality of cells, and configuring the UE to dynamically change a cell from which HARQ-ACK feedback for the cells in the PUCCH group is transmitted. Methods for the network node, a user equipment, and a user equipment are also provided.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to communications, and more particularly, to wireless communications and associated wireless devices and network nodes. [Background technology]

[0002] A way to obtain a wider bandwidth is through the use of carrier aggregation (CA). CA is a feature introduced in LTE Release 10 and also available in NR. CA implies that a UE can receive multiple component carriers (CCs). The CCs are aggregated into a wider "carrier", thereby increasing the bandwidth. The number of aggregated CCs as well as the bandwidth of the individual CCs can be different for the uplink and downlink. A symmetric configuration refers to the case where the number of CCs in the downlink and the number of CCs in the uplink are the same, while an asymmetric configuration refers to the case where the number of CCs in the uplink and the downlink are different.

[0003] A UE configured for carrier aggregation connects to one primary serving cell (known as a "PCell" in an MCG, or a "PSCell" in an SCG, or a "Secondary Cell Group") and one or more secondary serving cells (known as "SCells").

[0004] All RRC connection and broadcast signaling is handled by the primary serving cell, which is the master of the entire procedure. The primary serving cell decides which serving cells need to be aggregated or added and removed from the aggregation.

[0005] The primary cell's responsibilities are, among others, to dynamically add or remove secondary component carriers, to dynamically activate and deactivate secondary cells, to handle all RRC (Radio Resource Control) and NAS (Non-Access Stratum) procedures, to receive measurement reports, and to control the mobility of the UE. In NR, a UE can aggregate up to 16 component carriers, one primary component carrier (PCell) and 15 secondary component carriers (SCells). The actual number of secondary serving cells that can be assigned to a UE depends on the UE capabilities.

[0006] Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) is employed for error detection and correction. In standard Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) methods, error detection bits are added to the data to be transmitted. In HARQ, error correction bits are also added. When a receiver receives a data transmission, the receiver uses the error detection bits to determine if data is lost. If data is lost and the receiver is not able to use the error correction bits to recover the data, the receiver may use a second transmission of additional data to recover the lost data. Although conventional HARQ feedback techniques employ a single ACK / NACK bit for a transport block (bit value=1 is that the transport block has been successfully decoded, and bit value=0 if decoding the transport block has failed), more advanced HARQ feedback techniques are also available.

[0007] In case of carrier aggregation, the HARQ-ACK feedback message is transmitted by default on the PCell or PUCCH-SCell of the corresponding PUCCH group. If it is desired to use another UL cell for HARQ-ACK transmission, semi-static configuration of the serving cell ID within the same PUCCH group to use for HARQ-ACK transmission is allowed only for the newly added SCell.

[0008] The existing behavior of the HARQ-ACK feedback message may be too restrictive in some scenarios, especially when the delay of the HARQ-ACK transmission is of high importance. For example, the PCell or PUCCH-SCell, or the configured UL cell for HARQ-ACK feedback, may not have a TDD pattern that is suitable for fast HARQ-ACK feedback, which may result in a delay bottleneck for the entire DL transmission. Summary of the Invention

[0009] In some embodiments, a method is provided for operating a network node, the method comprising: configuring a UE with a PUCCH group including a plurality of cells; and configuring the UE to dynamically change a cell from which HARQ feedback for the cells of the PUCCH group is transmitted.

[0010] In some embodiments, the method of operating a network node includes configuring two PUCCH groups for a UE, each PUCCH group comprising a plurality of cells, and where HARQ feedback related to DL transmissions on cells in a first PUCCH group is transmitted in an UL of a PCell of the first PUCCH group and HARQ feedback related to DL transmissions on cells in a second PUCCH group is transmitted in an UL of a PSCell or on a PUCCH-SCell of the second PUCCH group. The method further includes configuring the UE to switch, within at least one of the PUCCH groups, the PUCCH carrier on which the HARQ feedback is transmitted.

[0011] In some embodiments, a network node is provided, the network node including a processor circuit, a transceiver coupled to the processor circuit, and a memory coupled to the processor circuit. The memory comprises machine-readable program instructions that, when executed by the processor circuit, cause the network node to perform operations including configuring a PUCCH group for the UE including a plurality of cells, where HARQ feedback related to DL transmissions on cells in the PUCCH group is transmitted in the UL of the cells in the PUCCH group. The method further includes configuring the UE to switch PUCCH carriers within the PUCCH group for the PUCCH group for which the HARQ feedback is transmitted.

[0012] In some embodiments, a method of operating a user equipment is provided, the method of operating a user equipment including: configuring 1202 a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) group including a plurality of cells, where HARQ feedback related to downlink (DL) transmissions on cells in the PUCCH group is transmitted in an uplink (UL) of cells in the PUCCH group; and receiving a configuration for switching, within the PUCCH group, a PUCCH carrier on which the HARQ feedback is transmitted.

[0013] In some embodiments, the method for operating a UE includes configuring two PUCCH groups, each PUCCH group comprising a plurality of cells, and HARQ feedback related to DL transmissions on cells in a first PUCCH group being transmitted in an UL of a primary cell (PCell) of the first PUCCH group and HARQ feedback related to DL transmissions on cells in a second PUCCH group being transmitted in an UL of a primary cell (PSCell) or a PUCCH secondary cell (PUCCH-SCell) of the second PUCCH group, and receiving (1208) a configuration for switching a PUCCH carrier on which the HARQ feedback is transmitted within at least one of the PUCCH groups.

[0014] In some embodiments, a user equipment is provided, the user equipment including a processor circuit, a transceiver coupled to the processor circuit, and a memory coupled to the processor circuit, the memory comprising machine-readable program instructions that, when executed by the processor circuit, cause a network node to perform operations including: configuring a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) group including a plurality of cells, where HARQ feedback related to downlink transmissions on cells in the PUCCH group is transmitted in an uplink (UL) of cells in the PUCCH group; and configuring a PUCCH carrier on which the HARQ feedback is transmitted to be switched within the PUCCH group.

[0015] The proposed solution allows for a more flexible configuration of the UL carrier used for HARQ-ACK feedback transmission. The embodiments allow for switching the PUCCH carrier on which the HARQ feedback is transmitted in a PUCCH group. The embodiments allow for example for HARQ feedback to be provided on UL carriers in a PUCCH group and not necessarily only on the default PUCCH carrier, such as the PCell or PUCCH-SCell of the corresponding PUCCH group. This can be useful for example for URLLC to reduce the overall DL transmission latency with HARQ-ACK retransmissions, since the UE can switch to a PUCCH carrier that offers lower latency.

[0016] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate several non-limiting embodiments of the inventive concepts. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a wireless communication system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 illustrates an example radio resource configuration for NR. [Diagram 3] A diagram showing a HARQ timeline in a scenario with two PDSCHs and one feedback message. [Figure 4A] FIG. 1 illustrates uplink ACK / NACK feedback for multiple PUCCH groups. [Figure 4B] FIG. 1 illustrates uplink ACK / NACK feedback for multiple PUCCH groups. [Figure 4C] FIG. 1 illustrates uplink ACK / NACK feedback for multiple PUCCH groups. [Figure 4D] FIG. 1 illustrates uplink ACK / NACK feedback for multiple PUCCH groups. [Diagram 5] A diagram showing an example of a HARQ-ACK feedback transmission mechanism with two PUCCH groups. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of HARQ-ACK feedback with dynamic PUCCH carrier switching, according to various embodiments. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of HARQ-ACK feedback with dynamic PUCCH carrier switching, according to various embodiments. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of HARQ-ACK feedback with dynamic PUCCH carrier switching, according to various embodiments. [Figure 9] 1 illustrates possible PDSCH reception candidates according to TDRA entries for each DL cell in a set of applicable DL cells, according to various embodiments. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 illustrates a PUCCH cell activation / deactivation MAC Control element in accordance with various embodiments. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 illustrates a PUCCH cell activation / deactivation MAC Control element in accordance with various embodiments. [Figure 12A] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a user equipment (UE) node, in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 12B] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a UE in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 12C] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a UE in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 13A] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a Radio Access Network (RAN) node, in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 13B] 1 is a flowchart illustrating operation of a RAN node, in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 13C] 1 is a flowchart illustrating operation of a RAN node, in accordance with some embodiments. [Figure 14] 1 is a block diagram of a wireless network according to some embodiments. [Figure 15]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a user equipment according to some embodiments. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a virtualization environment, according to some embodiments. [Figure 17] 1 is a block diagram of a communications network connected to a host computer through an intermediate network according to some embodiments. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a host computer communicating with user equipment via a base station over a partially wireless connection according to some embodiments. [Figure 19] 1 is a block diagram of a method implemented in a communications system including a host computer, a base station, and user equipment, according to some embodiments. [Figure 20] 1 is a block diagram of a method implemented in a communications system including a host computer, a base station, and user equipment, according to some embodiments. [Figure 21] 1 is a block diagram of a method implemented in a communications system including a host computer, a base station, and user equipment, according to some embodiments. [Figure 22] 1 is a block diagram of a method implemented in a communications system including a host computer, a base station, and user equipment, according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] The inventive concept will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which examples of embodiments of the inventive concept are shown. However, the inventive concept may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the inventive concept to those skilled in the art. It should also be noted that these embodiments are not mutually exclusive. It may be implicitly assumed that an element from one embodiment is present / used in another embodiment.

[0019] The following description presents various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter. These embodiments are presented as teaching examples and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosed subject matter. For example, some details of the described embodiments may be modified, omitted, or expanded without departing from the scope of the described subject matter.

[0020] A simplified wireless communication system is shown in Figure 1. The system includes a UE 100 that communicates with one or more access nodes 200, 210 using wireless connections 107, 108. The access nodes 110, 120 are connected to a core network node 110. The access nodes 200, 210 are part of a radio access network 105.

[0021] In a wireless communication system conforming to the 3GPP 5G System (5GS) standard specifications (also referred to as New Radio (NR) or 5G), the access nodes 200, 210 generally correspond to 5G Node Bs (gNBs) and the network nodes 110 generally correspond to either an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) and / or a User Plane Function. The gNBs are part of a radio access network 105, which in this case is a Next Generation Radio Access Network (NG-RAN), and the AMF and UPF are both part of a 5G Core Network (5GC).

[0022] The 5G system consists of an access network and a core network. The access network (AN) is a network that allows the UE 100 to gain connectivity to a core network (CN), for example a base station, which may be a gNB or ng-eNB in ​​5G. The CN contains all the network functions and ensures a wide range of different functions, such as session management, connection management, charging, authentication, etc.

[0023] The NR standard is designed to provide services for multiple use cases, such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC), and machine-type communications (MTC). Each of these services has different technical requirements. For example, the general requirements for eMBB are high data rates with moderate latency and moderate coverage, while URLLC services require low latency and reliable transmission, but perhaps for moderate data rates.

[0024] One of the solutions for low latency data transmission is a shorter transmission time interval. In NR, in addition to transmission in slots, minislot transmission is also allowed to reduce latency. Minislot is a concept used in scheduling, where in DL, a minimum slot can consist of 2, 4 or 7 OFDM symbols, and in UL, a minislot can be any number of OFDM symbols from 1 to 14. Note that the concept of slot and minislot is not specific to a particular service, which means that a minislot can be used either for eMBB, URLLC, or other services. An example radio resource configuration for NR is shown in Figure 2.

[0025] Downlink Control Information

[0026] In the 3GPP NR standard, Downlink Control Information (DCI) transmitted in the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) is used to provide the UE with DL data related information, UL related information, power control information, slot format indication, etc. There are different formats of DCI associated with each of these control signals, and the UE identifies the different DCI formats based on different Radio Network Temporary Identifiers (RNTIs).

[0027] The UE is configured by higher layer signaling to monitor DCI in different resources with different periodicities. DCI formats 1_0, 1_1, and 1_2 are used to schedule DL data, which are sent in the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) and include time and frequency resources for DL ​​transmission, as well as modulation and coding information, HARQ (Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request) information, etc.

[0028] For DL ​​semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) and UL configured grant type 2, part of the scheduling, including periodicity, is provided by higher layer configuration, while the remaining scheduling information, such as time-domain and frequency-domain resource allocation, modulation and coding, is provided by DCI in the PDCCH.

[0029] Uplink control information

[0030] Uplink Control Information (UCI) is control information sent by the UE to the gNB. The UCI includes (a) Hybrid ARQ Acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK), which is feedback information corresponding to a received downlink transport block, regardless of whether the transport block reception was successful or not, (b) Channel State Information (CSI) related to downlink channel conditions, which provides the gNB with channel-related information useful for DL ​​scheduling, including information for multiple antennas and beamforming techniques, and (c) Scheduling Request (SR), which indicates the need for UL resources for UL data transmission.

[0031] UCI is typically transmitted on a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH). However, if a UE is transmitting data on a PUSCH with valid PUSCH resources that overlap with the PUCCH, UCI may be multiplexed with the UL data and transmitted on the PUSCH instead if the timeline requirements for UCI multiplexing are met.

[0032] Physical Uplink Control Channel

[0033] The Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) is used by the UE to transmit HARQ-ACK feedback messages corresponding to receipt of DL data transmissions. The PUCCH is also used by the UE to send channel state information (CSI) or to request for uplink grants for transmitting UL data.

[0034] In NR, there are multiple PUCCH formats that support different UCI payload sizes: PUCCH formats 0 and 1 support up to 2 bits of UCI, and PUCCH formats 2, 3, and 4 can support more than 2 bits of UCI. With respect to PUCCH transmission duration, PUCCH formats 0 and 2 are considered short PUCCH formats that support a PUCCH duration of 1 or 2 OFDM symbols, and PUCCH formats 1, 3, and 4 are considered long formats and can support a PUCCH duration of 4 to 14 symbols.

[0035] HARQ Feedback

[0036] The procedure for receiving a downlink transmission is that the UE first monitors and decodes the PDCCH in slot n, which refers to DL data scheduled in slot n+K0 slot (where K0 is greater than or equal to 0). The UE then decodes the data in the corresponding PDSCH. Finally, based on the decoding outcome, the UE sends an acknowledgement (ACK) of the correct decoding or a negative acknowledgement (NACK) to the gNB in ​​time slot n+K0+K1 (in case of slot aggregation, n+K0 will be replaced by the slot where the PDSCH ends). Both K0 and K1 are indicated in the DCI. The resource for sending the acknowledgement is indicated by the PUCCH resource indicator (PRI) field in the DCI, which points to one of the PUCCH resources configured by the higher layer.

[0037] Depending on the DL / UL slot configuration, or whether carrier aggregation, or transmission per code block group (CBG) used in DL, feedback for several PDSCHs may need to be multiplexed in one feedback message. This is done by constructing a HARQ-ACK codebook. In NR, the UE may be configured to multiplex ACK / NACK bits using a semi-static or dynamic codebook.

[0038] A type 1 or semi-static codebook consists of a bit sequence where each element contains the ACK / NACK bits from a possible allocation in one slot, carrier, or transport block (TB). When the UE is configured with a CBG and / or a time domain resource allocation (TDRA) table with multiple entries, multiple bits are generated per slot and TB. It is important to note that the codebook is derived regardless of the actual PDSCH scheduling. The size and format of the semi-static codebook are pre-configured based on the parameters mentioned above. The disadvantage of the semi-static HARQ ACK codebook is that the size is fixed and bits are reserved in the feedback matrix regardless of whether there is a transmission or not.

[0039] If the UE has a TDRA table with multiple time domain resource allocation entries, the table is pruned (i.e., entries are removed based on a specified algorithm) to derive a TDRA table containing only non-overlapping time domain allocations. Then, for each non-overlapping entry (assuming the UE is capable of supporting reception of multiple PDSCHs in a slot), one bit is reserved in the HARQ codebook.

[0040] To avoid reserving unnecessary bits in the semi-static HARQ codebook, in NR, the UE may be configured to use a type 2 or dynamic HARQ codebook, and the ACK / NACK bits are present only if there is a corresponding transmission scheduled. To avoid confusion between the gNB and the UE regarding the number of PDSCHs for which the UE must send feedback, in the DL allocation, there is a counter downlink allocation indicator (DAI) field, which indicates the cumulative number of {serving cell, PDCCH occasion} pairs for which PDSCHs have been scheduled for the UE up to the current PDCCH. In addition, there is another field called total DAI, which, when present, indicates the total number of {serving cell, PDCCH occasion} up to and including all PDCCHs for the current PDCCH monitoring occasion. The timing for sending the HARQ feedback is determined based on both the PDSCH transmission slot (K0) for the PDCCH slot and the PUCCH slot (K1) that contains the HARQ feedback.

[0041] Figure 3 shows the timeline for a simple scenario with two PDSCHs and one feedback message. In this example, there are a total of four configured PUCCH resources, and the PRI indicates that PUCCH2 should be used for HARQ feedback. PUCCH2 is selected from the four PUCCH resources based on the procedure specified in NR Rel-15.

[0042] In NR Rel-15, a UE may be configured with up to four PUCCH resource sets for the transmission of HARQ-ACK information. Each set is associated with a range of UCI payload bits including HARQ-ACK bits. The first set is always associated with one or two HARQ-ACK bits and therefore includes only PUCCH formats 0 or 1 or both. The range of payload values ​​(minimum of maximum) for the other sets is provided by the configuration, except for the maximum for the last set, where the default value is used, and the minimum of the second set, which is 3, if configured. The first set may include up to 32 PUCCH resources of PUCCH formats 0 or 1. The other sets may include up to 8 bits of formats 2 or 3 or 4.

[0043] As described above, the UE determines a slot for transmission of the HARQ-ACK bit in the PUCCH corresponding to the PDSCH scheduled or activated by the DCI via a K1 value provided by configuration or in a field in the corresponding DCI, and the UE forms a codebook from the HARQ-ACK bit in the associated PUCCH in the same slot via the corresponding K1 value.

[0044] The UE determines a PUCCH resource set whose codebook size is within the corresponding range of the payload value associated with that set.

[0045] The UE determines the PUCCH resources in the set according to a field in the last DCI associated with the corresponding PDSCH if the set is configured with up to eight PUCCH resources, and if the set is a first set and more than eight resources are configured in the set, the PUCCH resources in the set are determined according to a field in the last DCI associated with the corresponding PDSCH and an implicit rule based on CCE.

[0046] The PUCCH resource for HARQ-ACK transmission may overlap in time with other PUCCH resources for CSI and / or SR transmissions and PUSCH transmissions in a slot. In case of overlapping PUCCH and / or PUSCH resources, the UE first resolves the overlap between PUCCH resources, if any, by determining a PUCCH resource that carries the total UCI (including HARQ-ACK bits) such that the UCI multiplexing timeline requirement is met. To multiplex UCI in the determined PUCCH resource, the UE may partially or completely drop CSI bits, if any. Then, the UE resolves the overlap between PUCCH and PUSCH resources, if any, by multiplexing UCI on the PUSCH resource, if the timeline requirement for UCI multiplexing is met.

[0047] Cross-carrier HARQ-ACK feedback

[0048] In NR, when operating with carrier aggregation (CA), as a baseline, HARQ-ACK feedback information (carried in the physical uplink control channel (PUCCH)) for multiple downlink component carriers (CCs) is transmitted on a primary cell (PCell) to support asymmetric CA, where the number of downlink carriers is not related to the number of uplink carriers.

[0049] In case of carrier aggregation, several serving cells are used. There is a serving cell for each component carrier. The properties of the serving cells may be different, e.g., the coverage of the serving cells may be different, since CCs on different frequency bands will experience different path losses, see FIG. 4A. The RRC connection is handled only by the primary serving cell, served by the primary component carrier (DL and UL PCC). It is also on the DL PCC that the UE receives NAS information such as security parameters. The PUCCH is sent on the UL PCC. All other component carriers are called secondary component carriers (DL and UL SCCs) and serve secondary serving cells, see FIG. 4A. SCCs are added and removed as needed, but PCCs are changed only at handover. In some of the embodiments disclosed herein, component carrier, carrier, cell, and serving cell are used interchangeably. 4A, carrier aggregation on all three component carriers may be used for the UE 100C. The UE 100B is not within the coverage area of ​​the cell A (component carrier A).

[0050] For multiple downlink CCs, a single uplink carrier may have to carry multiple HARQ-ACK feedbacks. Therefore, to avoid overloading a single carrier, two PUCCH groups (sets of serving cells) can be configured, where feedback messages related to DL transmissions in the first PUCCH group are transmitted in uplink on a PCell in the first PUCCH group, and feedback messages related to the other PUCCH group are transmitted on a first-order cell (PSCell) or on a PUCCH-SCell of the second PUCCH group. In some embodiments, a PUCCH group is a group of serving cells for which PUCCH transmissions are on a PCell or PSCell, or on a PUCCH-SCell.

[0051] 4B shows a UE 100 with two PUCCH groups configured for communication with a gNB 200. The first PUCCH group (PUCCH group 1) includes a primary cell (PCell) and a secondary cell (SCell). Uplink ACK / NACK feedback for the first PUCCH group is carried on the uplink of the PCell. The second PUCCH group (PUCCH group 2) includes a primary cell (PSCell) and a secondary cell (SCell). Uplink ACK / NACK feedback for the second PUCCH group is carried on the uplink of the PSCell.

[0052] 4C also shows a UE 100 with two PUCCH groups configured for communication with a gNB 200, where a first PUCCH group (PUCCH group 1) includes a primary cell (PCell) and a secondary cell (SCell). Uplink ACK / NACK feedback for the first PUCCH group is carried on the uplink of the PCell. A second PUCCH group (PUCCH group 2) includes a primary cell (PSCell) and a secondary cell (PUCCH-SCell) configured to carry UL ACK / NACK for the second PUCCH group.

[0053] It is possible to use another UL cell for HARQ-ACK feedback transmission by semi-statically configuring the serving cell ID indicating a cell in the same PUCCH group to use for HARQ-ACK transmission. However, such configuration is only possible for newly added SCells, i.e., in case of DL transmission on PCell, HARQ-ACK transmission is only possible on PCell.

[0054] 4D shows a UE 100 with two PUCCH groups configured for communication with a gNB 200. The first PUCCH group (PUCCH group 1) includes a primary cell (PCell) and a secondary cell (SCell), with uplink ACK / NACK feedback carried on the uplink of the PCell. The first PUCCH group also includes a newly added SCell, which carries its ACK / NACK feedback on its uplink.

[0055] The second PUCCH group (PUCCH group 2) includes the PSCell and the secondary cell (SCell), for which uplink ACK / NACK feedback is carried on the uplink of the first secondary cell (PSCell). The second PUCCH group also includes the newly added SCell, which carries its ACK / NACK feedback on its uplink.

[0056] 5 shows an example of a HARQ-ACK feedback transmission mechanism with two PUCCH groups, where HARQ-ACK feedback for the first four DL CCs is transmitted on the UL PCell in the corresponding PUCCH group, and feedback for the last three DL CCs is transmitted on the PUCCH-SCell of the second PUCCH group. A PUCCH carrier or PUCCH cell will refer to the carrier or cell on which the HARQ-ACK feedback is transmitted in the embodiment. It should be noted that the terms "carrier", "component carrier" and "cell" are used in a similar sense in the context of this disclosure.

[0057] Some embodiments described herein provide methods for flexible configuration, switching, and indication of UL carriers for HARQ-ACK transmission in CA scenarios. Some embodiments provide solutions for PUCCH resource configuration, cell configuration, dynamic indication of UL cells, and HARQ-ACK codebook construction.

[0058] For example, in some embodiments, UL HARQ feedback messages may be carried on UL carriers other than the default PCell or PUCCH-SCell of the corresponding PUCCH group, which may be useful, for example, to reduce the overall DL transmission latency involving HARQ-ACK retransmissions, which may be particularly useful in URLLC communications.

[0059] The embodiments described below may generally be applied to both slot-based and subslot-based PUCCH configurations. The embodiments described below may be applied to both dynamically scheduled PDSCH HARQ-ACK feedback and DL SPS HARQ-ACK feedback. Moreover, the various embodiments described herein may be combined.

[0060] A. Dynamic PUCCH Carrier Switching

[0061] 1. Dynamic PUCCH carrier switching operation configuration

[0062] In some embodiments, a new RRC parameter may be semi-statically configured to indicate to the UE that dynamic PUCCH carrier switching is enabled for HARQ-ACK feedback transmission. In the absence of that parameter, the legacy behavior described above may apply.

[0063] In some embodiments, new RRC parameters to enable dynamic PUCCH carrier switching may be applied to a HARQ-ACK codebook (eg, a slot or sub-slot codebook) with a certain index / priority.

[0064] In other embodiments, dynamic PUCCH carrier switching operation may be implicitly enabled when a UE is configured with PUCCH resource configuration for two or more carriers in a cell group, or in other manners described below.

[0065] 2. PUCCH resource configuration for dynamic PUCCH carrier switching

[0066] In certain embodiments, different methods for PUCCH resource configuration for a possible PUCCH carrier switch are provided.

[0067] In the first embodiment, a separate PUCCH configuration is configured (e.g., in BWP_UL_dedicated) for each UL cell in the applicable UL cells for PUCCH. This implies that there are separate parameters for dl-DataToUL-ACK(K1), PUCCH resource set configuration, and pucch-PowerControl configuration for each UL cell.

[0068] In a second embodiment, one RRC configuration with parameter PUCCH-config is provided to the UE (e.g., configured on the PCell or PUCCH-SCell) but applies to multiple UL cells; in one version, one PUCCH-config is provided to the UE for each PUCCH group and applies to multiple UL cells in the corresponding PUCCH group, or in another version, one PUCCH-config is provided to the UE and applies to multiple UL cells across multiple PUCCH groups.

[0069] For the second embodiment described above, there may be separate parameters in the PUCCH-config covering multiple cells, e.g., a separate dl-DataToULACK(K1) setting, a separate PUCCH resource set setting, and / or a separate pucch-PowerControl setting for each UL cell applicable for PUCCH transmission. The remaining parameters in the PUCCH configuration may be common for all UL cells.

[0070] A relevant aspect of this embodiment is that the entire PUCCH-FormatConfig IE in PUCCH-config may be set independently for each UL cell, or only a subset of the parameters in PUCCH-FormatConfig, such as the parameter Nrslots for PUCCH repetitions, may be set independently for each UL cell.

[0071] 3. Applicable UL cell configuration for HARQ-ACK feedback with dynamic PUCCH carrier switching

[0072] In this embodiment, a different method is provided for configuring an applicable UL cell for HARQ-ACK feedback.

[0073] Let TIFF0007625695000001.tif8170 denote the set of applicable DL cells whose DL transmissions can have corresponding HARQ-ACK feedback sent on UL CC#i. Let TIFF0007625695000002.tif8170 denote the set of applicable UL cells to which HARQ-ACK feedback for DL ​​transmissions of DL CC#j may be sent.

[0074] In a first embodiment, each UL cell is configured with a set of applicable DL cells that can have corresponding HARQ-ACK feedback sent on this UL cell.

[0075] Referring to FIG. 6, in the first example, for each UL cell #i, a set of applicable DL cells TIFF0007625695000003.tif8170 is configured. The set of applicable DL cells can be configured in the PUCCH-config IE, which can be a common PUCCH-config or a separate PUCCH-config, as described above. In the example shown in Figure 6, three DL cells and two UL cells are shown, and both UL cells can be used for HARQ-ACK transmission. UL cell #1 is configured with DL cells #1, #2, and #3 as applicable DL cells, where: TIFF0007625695000004.tif8170. Similarly, for UL cell #2, only DL cells #1 and #2 are set as applicable DL cells. That is, The file is TIFF0007625695000005.tif8170.

[0076] In a second embodiment, for each DL cell, a set of applicable UL cells that can be used for HARQ-ACK feedback for this DL cell is configured.

[0077] For example, for each DL cell #j, the set of applicable UL cells for HARQ-ACK feedback The set of applicable UL cells for HARQ-ACK feedback may be configured in the PDSCH-config IE in the BWP-DownlinkDedicated for each DL cell, or the set of UL cells may be configured in the PDSCH-ServingCellConfig IE in the ServingCellConfig for each DL cell.

[0078] Referring to Figure 7, an example with three DL cells and two UL cells is shown. In the example shown in Figure 7, DL cell #1 is configured with only UL cell #1 as an applicable UL cell for HARQ-ACK feedback of DL transmissions on DL cell #1, i.e. DL cell #2 configures UL cells #1 and #2 as applicable UL cells for HARQ-ACK feedback of DL transmissions on DL cell #2, i.e. DL cell #3 is configured with UL cells #1 and #2 as applicable UL cells for HARQ-ACK feedback of DL transmissions on DL cell #3, i.e. TIFF0007625695000009.tif8170. In this case, TIFF0007625695000010.tif8170 and It can also be derived that the image is TIFF0007625695000011.tif8170.

[0079] In a third embodiment, a set of applicable UL cells is configured that may be used for HARQ-ACK feedback corresponding to DL transmission in any DL cell.

[0080] For example, a set of applicable UL cells for HARQ-ACK feedback may be configured and may apply to any DL cell. The set of applicable UL cells for HARQ-ACK feedback may be configured, for example, as part of a PUCCH-config IE.

[0081] Referring to Figure 8, an example with three DL cells and three UL cells is shown. In the example shown in Figure 8, only UL cells #1 and #2 are configured as applicable UL cells for HARQ-ACK feedback, i.e. TIFF0007625695000012.tif8170. In this case, TIFF0007625695000013.tif8170 and It can also be derived that the image is TIFF0007625695000014.tif8170.

[0082] 4. Type-1 HARQ-ACK Codebook Construction for Dynamic PUCCH Carrier Switching

[0083] In some embodiments, different methods for Type-1 HARQ-ACK codebook construction and codebook size determination for PUCCH carrier switching are provided.

[0084] To form a type-1 HARQ-ACK codebook, first, the size of the HARQ-ACK codebook is determined. This is because the UE U M for candidate PDSCH reception, which can transmit corresponding HARQ-ACK information in the PUCCH in A,c Corresponds to determining the set of occasions.

[0085] Note that in case of dynamic PUCCH carrier switching, PDSCH receptions can come from different DL cells. Therefore, the size of the Type 1 HARQ-ACK codebook for UL cell #i is determined by the set of applicable DL cells. It also depends on the time domain resource allocation table associated with the active DL BWP of the DL cell in TIFF0007625695000015.tif8170 (the DL cell that has this UL cell #i as the applicable UL cell for HARQ-ACK feedback transmission).

[0086] In the following embodiment, a procedure for codebook size determination of type-1 HARQ-ACK codebook for UL cell #i with dynamic PUCCH carrier switching is described.

[0087] A set of slot timing values ​​K1 and a set of applicable DL cells For TIFF0007625695000016.tif8170 and TIFF0007625695000016.tif8170, the UE may prune the TDRA entries for each DL cell in slot n by independent pruning of the TDRA entries for each DL cell or by joint pruning of the TDRA entries across the DL as follows:U M for candidate PDSCH reception, which can transmit corresponding HARQ-ACK information in the PUCCH in A,c Decide on the occasion set.

[0088] The procedure for independent pruning for each DL cell of a TDRA entry includes the following. For each K1 (starting with descending order of slot timing values ​​K1 in the set of K1), 〇 (Set (Starting in ascending order of cell index in TIFF0007625695000017.tif8170) For each DL cell in TIFF0007625695000018.tif8170, Pruning out entries in the TDRA table related to active BWPs of DL cells, which results in PDSCH time resources having at least one symbol configured as an UL symbol, where the PDSCH time resource is in slot n, taking into account the slot timing K1. U -K1 is considered. Further, starting from the first TDRA index, it determines the number of non-overlapping PDSCH reception candidates in the slot from the remaining entries in the TDRA table. 〇 DL Cells End - Finished about K1

[0089] The procedure for joint pruning of TDRA entries across DL cells includes the following. For each K1 (starting with descending order of slot timing values ​​K1 in the set), 〇 (Set (Starting in ascending order of cell index in TIFF0007625695000019.tif8170) For each DL cell in TIFF0007625695000020.tif8170, Pruning out entries in the TDRA table related to active BWPs of DL cells, which results in PDSCH time resources having at least one symbol configured as an UL symbol, where the PDSCH time resource is in slot n, taking into account the slot timing K1. U -K1 is considered. 〇 DL Cells End 〇 Consider the union of all remaining TDRA entries after the above steps from the TDRA table associated with the DL cell in TIFF0007625695000021.tif8170. Starting from the first TDRA index of the lowest DL cell index, determine the number of non-overlapping PDSCH reception candidates in the slot from the union of the TDRA entries. - Finished about K1

[0090] An example of codebook size determination for Type-1 HARQ-ACK codebook with dynamic PUCCH carrier switching using the "independent pruning for each DL cell of TDRA entries" method is given below.

[0091] There are three DL cells and two UL cells. TIFF0007625695000022.tif8170 and Consider the example shown in FIG. 6, which is TIFF0007625695000023.tif8170. FIG. 9 shows the UL CC#2 slot n U 9 illustrates the determination of the Type 1 HARQ-ACK codebook size for HARQ-ACK feedback sent in TIFF0007625695000024.tif8170 shows possible PDSCH reception candidates according to the TDRA entries for each DL cell.

[0092] Assume that the set of K1 values ​​for the PUCCH-config for UL CC#2 is {1,2,3,4}. The set of K1 values ​​{1,2,3,4} and the set of applicable DL cells Using TIFF0007625695000025.tif8170, the UE calculates the number of frames in slot n as follows: U , determine a set of candidate PDSCH reception occasions for which corresponding HARQ-ACK information can be transmitted in the PUCCH in .

[0093] 1. First, start with K1=4. This is the number of slots in slot n. U -4, where only PDSCH reception candidates from DL CC#1 are valid since all PDSCH reception candidates from DL cell#2 will be in the UL slots of DL CC#2. Then, the number of non-overlapping PDSCH reception candidates from the TDRA entries in the TDRA table associated with the active BWP of DL cell#1 may be determined to be two candidates.

[0094] 2. Next, K1=3 (slot n U In case -3), both DL cell #1 and DL cell #2 correspond to valid DL slots, so PDSCH reception candidates from both DL cell #1 and DL cell #2 are valid. For DL ​​cell #1, there are two non-overlapping PDSCH reception candidates, but for DL ​​cell #2, there are another two non-overlapping candidates.

[0095] 3. K1=2(slot n U In case -2), PDSCH reception candidates from both DL cell #1 and DL cell #2 are valid. Similarly, for DL ​​cell #1, there are two non-overlapping PDSCH reception candidates, but for DL ​​cell #2, there are another two non-overlapping candidates.

[0096] 4. Finally, K1=1 (slot n UIn case -1), all PDSCH reception candidates from DL cell #1 will be in the UL slots of DL CC #1, so only the PDSCH reception candidates from DL CC #2 are valid. Now, there are two non-overlapping PDSCH reception candidates.

[0097] In total, slot n on UL cell #2 U There are 2+4+4+2=12 possible PDSCH reception candidates that can have HARQ-ACK feedback sent in

[0098] Note that DL CC#3 is not considered in the above example since it is not an applicable DL cell that can have a corresponding HARQ-ACK sent on UL CC#2.

[0099] In the above example, if the method "Joint pruning of TDRA entries across DL cells" is used instead, steps 2) and 3) would be modified to take into account the union of TDRA entries in TDRA tables 1 and 2. This would result in a pruning of slot n U -3 and n U In −2, there will be two non-overlapping PDSCH reception candidates spanning DL cells #1 and #2. Also, in slot n on UL CC #2, U The total number of PDSCH reception candidates with HARQ-ACK feedback sent in is instead eight.

[0100] The above method for Type-1 HARQ-ACK codebook construction and size determination can also be extended to the case where DL and UL cells have different subcarrier spacings (SCS).

[0101] 5. Indication in DCI to trigger HARQ-ACK feedback on another UL cell

[0102] In this embodiment, a method is provided for dynamic indication of a UL cell / carrier to use for HARQ-ACK feedback transmission.

[0103] In one embodiment, the indication is provided through the existing PUCCH Resource Indicator (PRI) field in DCI formats 1_0, 1_1, and / or 1_2. In this embodiment, the serving cell ID information may be included as part of the PUCCH resource configuration using a new RRC parameter. If the indicated PUCCH resource includes this UL cell ID information, this UL cell ID information indicates the UL cell to use for the corresponding HARQ-ACK feedback. Table 1 below shows an example of a new RRC parameter in the PUCCH-Resource to indicate the UL cell to use for the corresponding HARQ-ACK feedback. TIFF0007625695000026.tif72170

[0104] In another embodiment, a separate DCI field is provided in DCI formats 1_0, 1_1, and / or 1_2 to select one of multiple cell ID values ​​of the applicable UL cell to use for HARQ-ACK transmission.

[0105] In this embodiment, if there is no indication of a UL carrier for HARQ-ACK feedback, it is assumed that the PCell or PUCCH-SCell of the corresponding PUCCH group is used by default.

[0106] In another embodiment, the UL carrier / cell for HARQ-ACK is not indicated, instead the carrier / cell is determined in the order of the UL serving cells. That is, the UE assumes that the PCell is used for HARQ-ACK feedback, and if there is no UL slot available on the PCell, the UE selects a PScell ​​or a PUCCH-SCell. If there is no UL slot available on a PSCell or a PUCCH-SCell, the UE selects SCell1, etc.

[0107] In the case of a PUCCH carrier indication for HARQ-ACK feedback of a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) PDSCH, the indication may be included in the activation DCI for each SPS configuration.

[0108] In another embodiment, two possible PUCCH cell indices are provided via pucch-Cell-r17 in the RRC configuration of the PDSCH-ServingCellConfig IE, as shown in the example in Table 2 below. When two serving cells are provided as shown, one bit in the PDSCH scheduling DCI (e.g., DCI format 1_1, 1_2) may be used to select one of the two PUCCH cells. If the bit value=0, the first serving cell index in the sequence is selected, otherwise (bit value=1), the second serving cell index in the sequence is selected.

[0109] One bit in the PDSCH scheduling DCI may be an optionally configured field dedicated to the dynamic PUCCH cell indication. Alternatively, one bit of an existing DCI field (e.g., PRI) may be used to provide the dynamic PUCCH cell indication. In another option, an implicit indication in the DCI may be used to provide an equivalent one-bit indication. TIFF0007625695000027.tif81170

[0110] 6. Timing Restrictions

[0111] In this embodiment, an additional timing constraint is imposed on the UE processing time when the UE operates with dynamic PUCCH carrier switching.

[0112] In one embodiment, when the UE is configured to operate with dynamic PUCCH carrier switching, the extra time offset Δ is set to T proc,1 That is, the time gap between the end of the PDSCH and the start of the PUCCH carrying the HARQ-ACK corresponding to the PDSCH is at least T proc,1It is required that the value be +Δ.

[0113] In one version of this embodiment, the time offset Δ may be SCS dependent, where the SCS for which Δ is considered is with respect to the SCS of the UL cell used for HARQ-ACK feedback.

[0114] In another version, the time offset Δ depends on the UE processing time capability, for example, different Δ values ​​are defined for UE processing time capability #1 and UE processing time capability #2, or the time offset Δ values ​​for different SCSs are reported as part of the UE capability report.

[0115] 7. UE Feature Restrictions

[0116] In this embodiment, additional UE feature restrictions are defined / introduced for UEs operating with dynamic PUCCH carrier switching.

[0117] In one aspect, the dynamic PUCCH carrier indication is restricted to only indicate UL cells in the same PUCCH group as the DL cell of the corresponding DL transmission.

[0118] In another aspect, the dynamic PUCCH carrier indication is limited to only indicating the UL cell with the smallest or largest SCS in the same PUCCH group.

[0119] In another aspect, dynamic PUCCH carrier indication is restricted to be used with a configured / defined priority indicator (or codebook index) in such a way that dynamic PUCCH carrier indication is only enabled for certain CB indices / priorities and not enabled for other CB indices / priorities.

[0120] In another aspect, there is a maximum number of total applicable UL cells to use for HARQ-ACK feedback on the PUCCH. The maximum number may be per PUCCH group. It may be part of the UE capabilities.

[0121] 8. Slot and Sub-slot PUCCH

[0122] If multiple HARQ-ACK codebooks (CBs) are configured in the UE, e.g., on a slot or subslot basis, the dynamic PUCCH carrier may be configured in only one CB, e.g., only in a subslot, or in both CBs. In this case, the UE should apply carrier switching for HARQ-ACK CB(s) of certain index / priority only. At the same time, the UE may not expect to apply dynamic switching to HARQ-ACK CBs for which dynamic PUCCH carrier switching is not configured / enabled.

[0123] In one embodiment, if only one (first) CB transmission is switched to another carrier and another (second) CB is not switched to another carrier, the UE should proceed with the prioritization procedure between the two CBs based on the HARQ-ACK CB priority or index, whether the HARQ-ACK CB is a dynamically switched PUCCH or not (e.g., a dynamically switched PUCCH carrier may always have a higher priority), and the carrier / cell index, and ignore one of the PUCCH transmissions on one carrier.

[0124] In another embodiment, if only one CB transmission is switched to another carrier and not the other (second) CB, the UE should proceed with the multiplexing procedure and switch both HARQ-ACK transmissions. In this case, the multiplexing procedure can be modified in several ways. For example, the second CB can be multiplexed only if there is room in the PUCCH transport block. Alternatively or additionally, the second CB can be compressed (e.g., by a bitwise AND operation) before multiplexing.

[0125] 9. MAC CE for Activating / Deactivating Dynamic PUCCH Carrier Switching

[0126] In one embodiment, the MAC CE is used to activate and / or deactivate the PUCCH carrier switching. An example of the PUCCH cell activation / deactivation MAC CE is shown in Figure 10, where a PUCCH cell for one PDSCH serving cell is shown. The fields are: serving cell ID, PUCCH cell indicator, and reserved bit R.

[0127] The serving cell ID field indicates the identity of the PDSCH serving cell to which the MAC CE applies. The length of the field is 5 bits.

[0128] The PUCCH cell indicator field indicates the UL serving cell on which the HARQ-ACK for the PDSCH on the serving cell is carried. In some embodiments, the "PUCCH cell indicator" is 1 bit, where a value of "0" indicates a PCell and a value of "1" indicates an SpCell or a PUCCH SCell of this cell group. In other embodiments, the "PUCCH cell indicator" is 2 bits, and up to 4 PUCCH cells can be indicated. A value of "0" indicates a PCell. The following examples assume a 2-bit "PUCCH cell indicator".

[0129] The reserved bit R is set to 0. If the "PUCCH cell indicator" is 2 bits, then R is 1 bit. If the "PUCCH cell indicator" is 1 bit, then R is 2 bits.

[0130] Another example of PUCCH Cell Activation / Deactivation MAC CE is shown in Figure 11, where a PUCCH cell for N PDSCH serving cells, N>1, is shown. The meaning of the fields is similar to that shown in Figure 10.

[0131] Correspondingly, a new eLCID is provided for this new MAC CE. An example is provided in Table 3 below. TIFF0007625695000028.tif18170

[0132] If no MAC CE is sent for a given PDSCH serving cell, the PUCCH cell for this PDSCH serving cell follows the RRC configured pucch-Cell in PDSCH-ServingCellConfig.

[0133] B. Semi-static PUCCH carrier switching

[0134] Some of the above described embodiments, sections A.2, A.3 and A.4, also apply to PUCCH carrier switching in a semi-static manner.

[0135] For example, the configuration of applicable UL cells for HARQ-ACK feedback described in Section A.3 is the set of applicable UL cells for each DL cell #j. It may be specialized where TIFF0007625695000029.tif8170 contains only one value indicating a specific UL cell to use for HARQ-ACK feedback of DL transmissions on DL cell #j. This includes the possibility to configure, for example, any UL cell to be used for HARQ-ACK feedback corresponding to DL transmissions on a DL PCell.

[0136] 12A illustrates an example of a UE 100 of a wireless communication network configured to provide wireless communication according to an embodiment of the inventive concept. As shown, the UE 100 may include a transceiver circuit 112 (also referred to as a transceiver) including a transmitter and a receiver configured to provide uplink and downlink wireless communication with wireless devices. The UE 100 may also include a processor circuit 116 (also referred to as a processor) coupled to the transceiver circuit 112 and a memory circuit 118 (also referred to as a memory) coupled to the processor circuit 116. The memory circuit 118 may include computer readable program code that, when executed by the processor circuit 116, causes the processor circuit to perform operations according to embodiments disclosed herein. According to other embodiments, the processor circuit 116 may be defined to include memory such that a separate memory circuit is not required.

[0137] As described herein, operations of the UE 100 may be performed by the processor 116 and / or the transceiver 112. For example, the processor 116 may control the transceiver 112 to transmit uplink communications over the air interface through the transceiver 112 to one or more network nodes and / or receive downlink communications over the air interface through the transceiver 112 from one or more network nodes. Moreover, modules may be stored in the memory 118 that may provide instructions such that, when the instructions of the modules are executed by the processor 116, the processor 116 performs respective operations (e.g., operations described above with respect to the exemplary embodiments).

[0138] Thus, a UE 100 according to some embodiments includes a processor circuit 116, a transceiver 112 coupled to the processor circuit, and a memory 118 coupled to the processor circuit, the memory including machine-readable program instructions that, when executed by the processor circuit, cause the UE 100 to perform the operations described above.

[0139] 12B illustrates an operation of a UE according to some embodiments. As shown therein, a method of operating a UE includes configuring a PUCCH group including a plurality of cells (1202) and receiving a configuration from a network node for dynamically changing a cell from which HARQ feedback for cells in the PUCCH group is transmitted (1204). Configuring the PUCCH group (1202) may include the UE receiving a configuration from the network node to configure the PUCCH group for the UE.

[0140] 12C illustrates an operation of a UE according to some embodiments. As shown therein, a method of operating a UE includes configuring 1206 two PUCCH groups, each PUCCH group comprising a plurality of cells, and HARQ feedback related to DL transmissions on cells in a first PUCCH group is transmitted in an UL of a primary cell (PCell) of the first PUCCH group and HARQ feedback related to DL transmissions on cells in a second PUCCH group is transmitted in an UL of a primary cell (PSCell) or a PUCCH secondary cell (PUCCH-SCell) of the second PUCCH group, and receiving 1208 a configuration from a network node for switching a PUCCH carrier on which the HARQ feedback is transmitted within at least one of the PUCCH groups.

[0141] 13A is a block diagram of a radio access network (RAN) node according to some embodiments. Various embodiments provide a RAN node including a processor circuit 276 and a memory 278 coupled to the processor circuit. The memory 278 includes machine-readable computer program instructions that, when executed by the processor circuit, cause the processor circuit to perform the operations illustrated in FIG. 13B.

[0142] FIG. 13A illustrates an example of a RAN node 200 of a wireless communication network configured to provide cellular communications, according to an embodiment of the inventive concept. The RAN node 200 may include a network interface circuit 274 (also referred to as a network interface) configured to provide communications with other nodes of the wireless communication network (e.g., with other base stations and / or core network nodes). The memory circuit 278 may include computer readable program code that, when executed by the processor circuit 276, causes the processor circuit to perform operations according to embodiments disclosed herein. According to other embodiments, the processor circuit 276 may be defined to include memory such that a separate memory circuit is not required. The RAN node 200 includes a transceiver 272 for communicating with UEs 100 in a radio access network.

[0143] As described herein, operations of the RAN node 200 may be performed by the processor 276 and / or the network interface 274. For example, the processor 276 may control the network interface 274 to transmit communications to one or more other network nodes through the network interface 274 and / or receive communications from one or more other network nodes through the network interface. Similarly, the processor 276 may control the transceiver 272 to transmit communications to one or more UEs 100 through the transceiver 272 and / or receive communications from one or more UEs 100 through the transceiver 272.

[0144] Moreover, modules may be stored in memory 278 that provide instructions that, when executed by processor 276, cause processor 276 to perform respective operations. Moreover, structures similar to that of Figure 13A may be used to implement other network nodes. Moreover, the network nodes described herein may be implemented as virtual network nodes or as elements of split architecture nodes.

[0145] 13B illustrates an operation of a network node according to some embodiments. As shown therein, a method of operating a network node includes configuring a UE with a PUCCH group including a plurality of cells (1302) and configuring the UE to dynamically change a cell from which HARQ feedback for the cells of the PUCCH group is transmitted (1304).

[0146] 13C illustrates an operation of a network node according to some embodiments. As shown therein, a method of operating a network node includes configuring 1306 two PUCCH groups for a UE, each PUCCH group comprising a plurality of cells, where HARQ feedback related to DL transmissions on cells in a first PUCCH group is transmitted in an UL of a primary cell (PCell) of the first PUCCH group and HARQ feedback related to DL transmissions on cells in a second PUCCH group is transmitted in an UL of a primary cell (PSCell) or a PUCCH secondary cell (PUCCH-SCell) of the second PUCCH group, and configuring 1308 the UE to switch the PUCCH carrier on which the HARQ feedback is transmitted within at least one of the PUCCH groups.

[0147] Listing of Exemplary Embodiments

[0148] Exemplary embodiments are described below, where reference numbers / letters are provided in parentheses as examples / illustrations without limiting the exemplary embodiments to the particular elements indicated by the reference numbers / letters.

[0149] Network Node Embodiments

[0150] Dynamic PUCCH carrier switching operation setting

[0151] Embodiment 1. A method of operating a radio access node, comprising: Configuring a PUCCH group including a plurality of cells in a UE (1302); configuring the UE to dynamically change a cell from which HARQ feedback for the cells of the PUCCH group is transmitted (1304); A method comprising: Embodiment 2. configuring a UE to transmit HARQ feedback on a first cell of a PUCCH group; Dynamically configuring the UE to transmit HARQ feedback on the second cell; 2. The method of embodiment 1, further comprising: Embodiment 3. The method of embodiment 2, wherein the second cell is in a PUCCH group. Embodiment 4. The method of embodiment 2, wherein the second cell is not in a PUCCH group. Embodiment 5. The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 4, wherein the UE is configured to dynamically change the cell from which the HARQ feedback is transmitted via an RRC parameter for enabling dynamic PUCCH carrier switching. Embodiment 6. The method according to embodiment 5, in which the RRC parameters for enabling dynamic PUCCH carrier switching are applied to a HARQ-ACK codebook with a certain index / priority. Embodiment 7. The method of embodiment 1, in which the UE is configured to dynamically change the cell from which the HARQ feedback is transmitted by implicit signaling.

[0152] PUCCH resource configuration for dynamic PUCCH carrier switching

[0153] Embodiment 8. The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 7, wherein the UE is configured with separate PUCCH configurations for multiple cells in a PUCCH group, the PUCCH configurations specifying the cells for which HARQ should be transmitted. Embodiment 9. The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 8, in which a single PUCCH configuration is configured in the UE, the PUCCH configuration specifying the cell in which HARQ should be transmitted, which applies to multiple cells in a PUCCH group. Embodiment 10. The method of embodiment 9, in which the PUCCH configuration is applied to cells in multiple PUCCH groups.

[0154] Applicable UL cell configuration for HARQ-ACK feedback with dynamic PUCCH carrier switching

[0155] Embodiment 11. The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 10, wherein a first cell of a PUCCH group is an uplink cell, and a set of downlink cells of the PUCCH group is configured in the uplink cell, which can have a corresponding HARQ-ACK feedback message sent on the first cell. Embodiment 12. The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 11, in which a first cell of a PUCCH group is a downlink cell, and a set of uplink cells of the PUCCH group is configured in the downlink cell, which can be used to carry a corresponding HARQ-ACK feedback message for a message received on the first cell. Embodiment 13. The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 12, wherein a set of applicable UL cells is configured in the UE, and the set can be used to carry HARQ-ACK feedback corresponding to DL transmission in any DL cell.

[0156] Type-1 HARQ-ACK Codebook Construction for Dynamic PUCCH Carrier Switching

[0157] Embodiment 14. Set of slot timing values ​​K1 and set of applicable DL cells For TIFF0007625695000030.tif8170, the network node determines that the UE is U 14. The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 13, further comprising: configuring a UE to determine a set of MA,c occasions for candidate PDSCH reception on which corresponding HARQ-ACK information can be transmitted in a PUCCH in. Embodiment 15. The method of embodiment 14, in which the network node configures the UE to determine a set of MA,c occasions for candidate PDSCH reception for which the UE can transmit corresponding HARQ-ACK information by independent pruning of TDRA entries for each DL cell. Embodiment 16. The network node performs the following procedure: For each K1 (starting with descending order of slot timing values ​​K1 in the set of K1), 〇 (Set (Starting in ascending order of cell index in TIFF0007625695000031.tif8170) For each DL cell in TIFF0007625695000032.tif8170, Pruning out entries in the TDRA table related to active BWPs of DL cells, which results in PDSCH time resources having at least one symbol configured as an UL symbol, where the PDSCH time resource is in slot n, taking into account the slot timing K1. U -K1 is considered. Further, starting from the first TDRA index, it determines the number of non-overlapping PDSCH reception candidates in the slot from the remaining entries in the TDRA table. 〇 DL Cells End - Finished about K1 16. The method of embodiment 15, wherein the UE is configured to determine a set of MA,c occasions for candidate PDSCH reception, on which the UE can transmit corresponding HARQ-ACK information according to.

[0158] Embodiment 17. The method of embodiment 14, in which the network node configures the UE to determine a set of MA,c occasions for candidate PDSCH reception for which the UE can transmit corresponding HARQ-ACK information by joint pruning of TDRA entries for each DL cell. Embodiment 18. The network node performs the following procedure: For each K1 (starting with descending order of slot timing values ​​K1 in the set), 〇 (Set (Starting in ascending order of cell index in TIFF0007625695000033.tif8170) For each DL cell in TIFF0007625695000034.tif8170, Pruning out entries in the TDRA table related to active BWPs of DL cells, which results in PDSCH time resources having at least one symbol configured as an UL symbol, where the PDSCH time resource is in slot n, taking into account the slot timing K1. U -K1 is considered. 〇 DL Cells End 〇 Consider the union of all remaining TDRA entries after the above steps from the TDRA table associated with the DL cell in TIFF0007625695000035.tif8170. Starting from the first TDRA index of the lowest DL cell index, determine the number of non-overlapping PDSCH reception candidates in the slot from the union of the TDRA entries. - Finished about K1 18. The method of embodiment 17, wherein the UE is configured to determine a set of MA,c occasions for candidate PDSCH reception, on which the UE can transmit corresponding HARQ-ACK information according to.

[0159] Indication in DCI to trigger HARQ-ACK feedback on another UL cell

[0160] Embodiment 19. The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 18, wherein configuring the UE to dynamically change the cell of the PUCCH group to which the HARQ feedback is transmitted is implemented by providing an indication in a PUCCH resource indicator field. Embodiment 20. The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 19, wherein configuring the UE to dynamically change the cell of the PUCCH group from which the HARQ feedback is transmitted is implemented by providing a separate DCI field indicating the applicable UL cell to use for HARQ-ACK transmission. Embodiment 21. The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 20, wherein configuring the UE to dynamically change the cell of the PUCCH group from which the HARQ feedback is transmitted is implemented by providing the UE with two possible PUCCH cell indices.

[0161] Timing Restrictions

[0162]

[0036] Embodiment 22. The method of any one of embodiments 1 to 21, wherein a timing constraint is imposed on the UE processing time when the UE operates with dynamic PUCCH carrier switching. Embodiment 23. When the UE is configured to operate with dynamic PUCCH carrier switching, the extra time offset Δ is set to T proc,1 23. The method of embodiment 22, further comprising: Embodiment 24. The method of embodiment 23, wherein the extra time offset depends on the subcarrier spacing.

[0081] Embodiment 25. The method of embodiment 23, wherein the extra time offset depends on the processing time capability of the UE.

[0163] UE feature restrictions

[0164]

[0036] Embodiment 26. The method of any one of embodiments 1 to 25, wherein the dynamic PUCCH carrier indication is limited to only indicating UL cells in the same PUCCH group as the DL cell of the corresponding DL transmission.

[0041] Embodiment 27. The method of any one of embodiments 1 to 26, wherein the dynamic PUCCH carrier indication is limited to only indicating the UL cell with the smallest or largest SCS in the same PUCCH group. Embodiment 28. A method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 27, wherein dynamic PUCCH carrier indication is restricted to be used with a configured / defined priority indicator (or codebook index) in such a way that dynamic PUCCH carrier indication is only enabled for certain CB indices / priorities and not enabled for other CB indices / priorities.

[0036] Embodiment 29. The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 28, wherein the UE is configured with a maximum number of total applicable UL cells to use for HARQ-ACK feedback on the PUCCH.

[0165] Slot and Sub-slot PUCCH

[0166]

[0036] Embodiment 30. The method according to any one of embodiments 1 to 29, wherein a plurality of HARQ-ACK codebooks are configured in the UE, and a dynamic PUCCH carrier is configured in only one CB or in both CBs among the plurality of CBs.

[0046] Embodiment 31. The method of embodiment 30, in which the network node configures the UE to apply carrier switching for HARQ-ACK CB(s) of certain index / priority only.

[0167] MAC CE for activating / deactivating dynamic PUCCH carrier switching

[0168]

[0036] Embodiment 32. The method of any one of embodiments 1 to 31, wherein the network node uses a MAC CE to activate dynamic carrier switching.

[0081] Embodiment 33. The method of embodiment 32, wherein the MAC CE includes a serving cell ID indicating the identity of the PDSCH serving cell to which the MAC CE applies, and a PUCCH cell indicator indicating the UL serving cell to which the HARQ-ACK for the PDSCH on the serving cell is carried.

[0169] Semi-static PUCCH carrier switching

[0170]

[0036] Embodiment 34. The method of any one of embodiments 1 to 33, wherein the configuration of the UE to perform dynamic carrier switching is semi-static. Embodiment 35. A network node (200), A processor circuit (276); a transceiver (272) coupled to the processor circuit; and a memory (278) coupled to the processor circuit, the memory comprising machine-readable program instructions that, when executed by the processor circuit, cause the network node to perform operations, the operations including: Configuring a PUCCH group including a plurality of cells in a UE; Configuring a UE to dynamically change a cell of a PUCCH group for which HARQ feedback is transmitted; A network node (200). Embodiment 36. A network node as described in embodiment 35, wherein the network node is configured to perform the operations described in any one of embodiments 2 to 34.

[0023] Embodiment 37. A network node (200) configured to perform an operation, the operation comprising: Configuring a PUCCH group including a plurality of cells in a UE; Configuring a UE to dynamically change a cell of a PUCCH group for which HARQ feedback is transmitted; A network node (200). Embodiment 38. A network node as described in embodiment 37, further configured to perform the operations described in any one of embodiments 2 to 34. Embodiment 39. A computer program comprising instructions for performing the operations recited in any one of embodiments 1 to 34. Embodiment 40. A computer program comprising: A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein, the computer-readable program code being configured to perform the operations of any one of embodiments 1 to 34. Computer program.

[0171] UE embodiment

[0172] Dynamic PUCCH carrier switching operation setting

[0173] Embodiment 41. A method of operating a UE, comprising: Configuring a PUCCH group including a plurality of cells (1202); receiving from a network node (1204) a configuration for dynamically changing a cell from which HARQ feedback for cells in the PUCCH group is transmitted; A method comprising: EMBODIMENT 42. transmitting HARQ feedback on a first cell of the PUCCH group; dynamically reconfiguring transmission of HARQ feedback to the second cell; and transmitting HARQ feedback on the second cell; 42. The method of embodiment 41, further comprising:

[0081] Embodiment 43. The method of embodiment 42, wherein the second cell is in a PUCCH group.

[0081] Embodiment 44. The method of embodiment 42, wherein the second cell is not in a PUCCH group.

[0046] Embodiment 45. The method according to any one of embodiments 41 to 44, wherein the UE is configured to dynamically change the cell from which the HARQ feedback is transmitted via an RRC parameter for enabling dynamic PUCCH carrier switching.

[0081] Embodiment 46. The method of embodiment 45, in which the RRC parameters for enabling dynamic PUCCH carrier switching are applied to a HARQ-ACK codebook with a certain index / priority.

[0081] Embodiment 47. The method of embodiment 41, in which the UE is configured to dynamically change the cell from which the HARQ feedback is transmitted by implicit signaling.

[0174] PUCCH resource configuration for dynamic PUCCH carrier switching

[0175]

[0046] Embodiment 48. The method according to any one of embodiments 41 to 47, wherein the UE is configured with separate PUCCH configurations for multiple cells in a PUCCH group, the separate PUCCH configurations defining the cells for which HARQ should be transmitted.

[0046] Embodiment 49. The method according to any one of embodiments 41 to 48, in which a single PUCCH configuration is configured in the UE, the PUCCH configuration specifying the cell in which HARQ should be transmitted, which applies to multiple cells in the PUCCH group.

[0081] Embodiment 50. The method of embodiment 49, in which the PUCCH configuration is applied to cells in multiple PUCCH groups.

[0176] Applicable UL cell configuration for HARQ-ACK feedback with dynamic PUCCH carrier switching

[0177] Embodiment 51. The method according to any one of embodiments 41 to 50, in which a first cell of a PUCCH group is an uplink cell, and a set of downlink cells of the PUCCH group is configured in the uplink cell, which can have a corresponding HARQ-ACK feedback message sent on the first cell. Embodiment 52. The method according to any one of embodiments 41 to 51, in which a first cell of a PUCCH group is a downlink cell, and a set of uplink cells of the PUCCH group is configured in the downlink cell, which can be used to carry a corresponding HARQ-ACK feedback message for a message received on the first cell.

[0046] Embodiment 53. The method according to any one of embodiments 41 to 52, wherein a set of applicable UL cells is configured in the UE, and the set may be used to carry HARQ-ACK feedback corresponding to DL transmission in any DL cell.

[0178] Type-1 HARQ-ACK Codebook Construction for Dynamic PUCCH Carrier Switching

[0179] Embodiment 54. Set of slot timing values ​​K1 and set of applicable DL cells For TIFF0007625695000036.tif8170, the network node determines that the UE is U 54. The method according to any one of embodiments 41 to 53, further comprising configuring a UE to determine a set of MA,c occasions for candidate PDSCH reception on which corresponding HARQ-ACK information can be transmitted in a PUCCH in.

[0081] Embodiment 55. The method of embodiment 54, in which the network node configures the UE to determine a set of MA,c occasions for candidate PDSCH reception for which the UE can transmit corresponding HARQ-ACK information by independent pruning of TDRA entries for each DL cell. Embodiment 56. The UE performs the following procedures: For each K1 (starting with descending order of slot timing values ​​K1 in the set of K1), 〇 (Set (Starting in ascending order of cell index in TIFF0007625695000037.tif8170) For each DL cell in TIFF0007625695000038.tif8170, Pruning out entries in the TDRA table related to active BWPs of DL cells, which results in PDSCH time resources having at least one symbol configured as an UL symbol, where the PDSCH time resource is in slot n, taking into account the slot timing K1. U -K1 is considered. Further, starting from the first TDRA index, it determines the number of non-overlapping PDSCH reception candidates in the slot from the remaining entries in the TDRA table. 〇 DL Cells End - Finished about K1 56. The method of embodiment 55, in which the UE is configured to determine a set of MA,c occasions for candidate PDSCH reception on which it can transmit corresponding HARQ-ACK information according to.

[0081] Embodiment 57. The method of embodiment 54, in which the UE is configured to determine a set of MA,c occasions for candidate PDSCH reception for which the UE can transmit corresponding HARQ-ACK information by joint pruning of TDRA entries for each DL cell. Embodiment 58. The UE performs the following procedures: For each K1 (starting with descending order of slot timing values ​​K1 in the set), 〇 (Set (Starting in ascending order of cell index in TIFF0007625695000039.tif8170) For each DL cell in TIFF0007625695000040.tif8170, Pruning out entries in the TDRA table related to active BWPs of DL cells, which results in PDSCH time resources having at least one symbol configured as an UL symbol, where the PDSCH time resource is in slot n, taking into account the slot timing K1. U -K1 is considered. 〇 DL Cells End 〇 Consider the union of all remaining TDRA entries after the above steps from the TDRA table associated with the DL cell in TIFF0007625695000041.tif8170. Starting from the first TDRA index of the lowest DL cell index, determine the number of non-overlapping PDSCH reception candidates in the slot from the union of the TDRA entries. - Finished about K1 58. The method of embodiment 57, in which the UE is configured to determine a set of MA,c occasions for candidate PDSCH reception on which it can transmit corresponding HARQ-ACK information according to.

[0180] Indication in DCI to trigger HARQ-ACK feedback on another UL cell

[0181]

[0036] Embodiment 59. The method according to any one of embodiments 41 to 58, wherein the UE is configured to dynamically change the cell of the PUCCH group for which the HARQ feedback is transmitted based on an indication in a PUCCH resource indicator field.

[0036] Embodiment 60. The method according to any one of embodiments 41 to 59, wherein the UE is configured to dynamically change the cell of the PUCCH group from which the HARQ feedback is transmitted based on a separate DCI field indicating an applicable UL cell to use for HARQ-ACK transmission.

[0036] Embodiment 61. The method according to any one of embodiments 41 to 60, wherein the UE is configured to dynamically change the cell of the PUCCH group from which the HARQ feedback is transmitted based on two possible PUCCH cell indexes received by the UE.

[0182] Timing Restrictions

[0183]

[0046] Embodiment 62. The method of any one of embodiments 41 to 61, wherein a timing constraint is imposed on the UE processing time when the UE operates with dynamic PUCCH carrier switching. Embodiment 63. When the UE is configured to operate with dynamic PUCCH carrier switching, the extra time offset Δ is set to T proc,1 63. The method of embodiment 62, further comprising:

[0046] Embodiment 64. The method of embodiment 63, wherein the extra time offset depends on the subcarrier spacing.

[0081] Embodiment 65. The method of embodiment 63, wherein the extra time offset depends on the processing time capability of the UE.

[0184] UE feature restrictions

[0185]

[0046] Embodiment 66. The method of any one of embodiments 41 to 65, wherein the dynamic PUCCH carrier indication is limited to only indicating UL cells in the same PUCCH group as the DL cell of the corresponding DL transmission.

[0046] Embodiment 67. The method of any one of embodiments 41 to 66, wherein the dynamic PUCCH carrier indication is limited to only indicating the UL cell with the smallest or largest SCS in the same PUCCH group. Embodiment 68. A method according to any one of embodiments 41 to 67, wherein dynamic PUCCH carrier indication is restricted to be used with a configured / defined priority indicator (or codebook index) in such a way that dynamic PUCCH carrier indication is only enabled for certain CB indices / priorities and not enabled for other CB indices / priorities.

[0046] Embodiment 69. The method according to any one of embodiments 41 to 68, wherein the UE is configured with a maximum number of total applicable UL cells to use for HARQ-ACK feedback on the PUCCH.

[0186] Slot and Sub-slot PUCCH

[0187]

[0046] Embodiment 70. The method of any one of embodiments 41 to 69, wherein a plurality of HARQ-ACK codebooks are configured in the UE, and a dynamic PUCCH carrier is configured in only one CB or in both CBs among the plurality of CBs.

[0081] Embodiment 71. The method of embodiment 70, in which the UE is configured to apply carrier switching for HARQ-ACK CB(s) of certain index / priority only.

[0188] MAC CE for activating / deactivating dynamic PUCCH carrier switching

[0189]

[0046] Embodiment 72. The method of any one of embodiments 41 to 71, wherein the UE activates dynamic carrier switching in response to a MAC CE.

[0081] Embodiment 73. The method of embodiment 72, wherein the MAC CE includes a serving cell ID indicating the identity of the PDSCH serving cell to which the MAC CE applies, and a PUCCH cell indicator indicating the UL serving cell to which the HARQ-ACK for the PDSCH on the serving cell is carried.

[0190] Semi-static PUCCH carrier switching

[0191]

[0046] Embodiment 74. The method of any one of embodiments 41 to 73, wherein the configuration of the UE to perform dynamic carrier switching is semi-static. Embodiment 75. A user device (100), A processor circuit (116); a transceiver (112) coupled to the processor circuit; A user equipment (100) comprising: a memory (118) coupled to the processor circuit, the memory comprising machine-readable program instructions that, when executed by the processor circuit, cause the user equipment to perform the operations described in any one of embodiments 41 to 74. Embodiment 76. A user equipment (100) configured to perform the operations described in any one of embodiments 41 to 74. Embodiment 77. A computer program comprising instructions for performing the operations recited in any one of embodiments 41 to 74. 78. A computer program comprising: A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein, the computer-readable program code being configured to perform the operations of any one of embodiments 41 to 74. Computer program.

[0192] Explanations of abbreviations from the above disclosure are provided below. Abbreviation Description 3GPP 3rd Generation Partnership Project 5G 5th Generation 5GC 5G Core Network ACK Acknowledgement AN Access Network CB Codebook CBG Code Block Group CC Component Carrier CCE Control Channel Element CE Control Element CN Core Network CSI Channel State Information DCI Downlink Control Information DL Downlink eMBB Enhanced Mobile Broadband eNB Evolved Node B (Radio base station in LTE) FDM frequency division multiplexing Radio base station for gNB NR. HARQ-ACK Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request Acknowledgement LTE Long Term Evolution MAC Media Access Control NACK Negative acknowledgment NG-RAN Next Generation Radio Access Network OFDM Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing PDCCH Physical Downlink Control Channel PDSCH Physical Downlink Shared Channel PRI PUCCH resource indicator PUCCH Physical Uplink Control Channel PUSCH Physical Uplink Shared Channel RAN Radio Access Network RNTI Radio Network Temporary Identifier RRC Radio Resource Control SCS Subcarrier Spacing SDM space division multiplexing SPS Semi-persistent Scheduling SR Scheduling Request TB Transport Block TDM time division multiplexing TDRA Time Domain Resource Allocation TRP Transmit Receiving Point UE User Equipment UCI Uplink Control Information UL Uplink URLLC Ultra-reliable low latency communication

[0193] Further definitions and embodiments are described below.

[0194] In the above description of various embodiments of the inventive concept, it should be understood that the terminology used herein is merely for describing specific embodiments, and is not intended to limit the inventive concept. Unless otherwise specified, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the inventive concept belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning according to the meaning of those terms in the context of this specification and related art, and should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[0195] When an element is referred to as being "connected," "coupled," "responsive" to another element, or variations thereof, the element may be directly connected, coupled, or responsive to the other element, or there may be intervening elements. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected," "directly coupled," "directly responsive" to another element, or variations thereof, there are no intervening elements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. Furthermore, as used herein, "coupled," "connected," "responsive," or variations thereof may include wirelessly coupled, wirelessly connected, or wirelessly responsive. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For the sake of brevity and / or clarity, well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail. The term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0196] Terms such as first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements / operations, but it will be understood that these elements / operations should not be limited by these terms. These terms are merely used to distinguish one element / operation from another. Thus, a first element / operation in some embodiments may be called a second element / operation in other embodiments without departing from the teachings of the inventive concept. The same reference numbers or characters refer to the same or similar elements throughout this specification.

[0197] As used herein, the terms "comprise," "comprising," "comprises," "include," "including," "includes," "have," "has," "having," or variations thereof, are open-ended and include one or more stated features, integers, elements, steps, components, or functions, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, elements, steps, components, functions, or groups thereof. Additionally, as used herein, the common abbreviation "eg," from the Latin phrase "exempli gratia," may be used to introduce or specifically name one or more general examples of the aforementioned items, without being limiting of such items. The common abbreviation "ie," from the Latin phrase "id est," may be used to specifically name a particular item from a more general statement.

[0198] Exemplary embodiments are described herein with reference to block diagrams and / or flowchart illustrations of computer-implemented methods, apparatus (systems and / or devices) and / or computer program products. It should be understood that the blocks of the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustrations, may be implemented by computer program instructions carried out by one or more computer circuits. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor circuit of a general-purpose computer circuit, a special-purpose computer circuit, and / or other programmable data processing circuit to create a machine, such that the instructions executing via the processor of the computer and / or other programmable data processing apparatus transform and control transistors, values ​​stored in memory locations, and other hardware components in such circuits to implement the function / act specified in one or more blocks of the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and thereby create means (functions) and / or structures for implementing the function / act specified in the block(s) of the block diagrams and / or flowcharts.

[0199] These computer program instructions may also be stored on a tangible computer readable medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored on the computer readable medium produce an article of manufacture that includes instructions that implement the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the block diagrams and / or flowcharts. Thus, embodiments of the inventive concepts may be embodied in hardware and / or in software (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.) running on a processor, such as a digital signal processor, which may be collectively referred to as a "circuit," "module," or variations thereof.

[0200] It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions / acts noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the flowcharts. For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be performed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be performed in reverse order, depending on the functions / acts involved. Moreover, the functionality of a given block of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams may be separated into multiple blocks, and / or the functionality of two or more blocks of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams may be at least partially integrated. Finally, other blocks may be added / inserted between the blocks shown, and / or blocks / acts may be omitted without departing from the scope of the inventive concept. Moreover, while some of the figures include arrows on communication paths to indicate a primary direction of communication, it should be understood that communication may occur in the opposite direction to the illustrated arrows.

[0201] Many variations and modifications may be made to the embodiments without substantially departing from the principles of the inventive concept. All such variations and modifications are intended to be included herein within the scope of the inventive concept. Accordingly, the subject matter disclosed above should be considered as illustrative and not limiting, and the example embodiments are intended to cover all such modifications, extensions, and other embodiments that fall within the spirit and scope of the inventive concept. Thus, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the scope of the inventive concept should be determined by the broadest permissible interpretation of the present disclosure, including the example embodiments and their equivalents, and should not be limited or restricted by the above detailed description.

[0202] Further explanation is provided below.

[0203] Generally, all terms used herein should be interpreted according to the ordinary meaning of those terms in the relevant technical field, unless a different meaning is expressly given and / or implied from the context in which the term is used. All references to a / an / the element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc. should be openly interpreted as referring to at least one instance of that element, apparatus, component, means, step, etc., unless expressly stated otherwise. The steps of any method disclosed herein need not be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless a step is expressly described as following or preceding another step, and / or it is implicit that a step must follow or precede another step. Any feature of any of the embodiments disclosed herein may be applied to any other embodiment, wherever appropriate. Similarly, any advantage of any of the embodiments may be applied to any other embodiment, and vice versa. Other objectives, features, and advantages of the enclosed embodiments will become apparent from the following description.

[0204] Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: However, other embodiments are included within the scope of the subject matter disclosed herein, and the disclosed subject matter should not be construed as being limited to only the embodiments described herein, but rather, these embodiments are provided as examples to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0205] FIG. 14: A wireless network according to some embodiments.

[0206] Although the subject matter described herein may be implemented in any suitable type of system using any suitable components, the embodiments disclosed herein are described with respect to a wireless network, such as the exemplary wireless network shown in FIG. 14. For simplicity, the wireless network of FIG. 14 illustrates only network QQ106, network nodes QQ160 and QQ160b, and WDs QQ110, QQ110b, and QQ110c (also referred to as mobile terminals). In practice, the wireless network may further include any additional elements suitable for supporting communication between wireless devices, or between a wireless device and another communication device, such as a landline, a service provider, or any other network node or end device. Of the components shown, network node QQ160 and wireless device (WD) QQ110 are illustrated with additional details. The wireless network may provide communication and other types of services to one or more wireless devices to facilitate the wireless device's access to the wireless network and / or use of services provided by or via the wireless network.

[0207] A wireless network may comprise and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, and / or radio network, or other similar type of system. In some embodiments, a wireless network may be configured to operate according to a particular standard or other type of predefined rules or procedures. Thus, particular embodiments of a wireless network may implement a communications standard, such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G standards, a wireless local area network (WLAN) standard, such as the IEEE 802.11 standard, and / or any other suitable wireless communication standard, such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, and / or ZigBee standards.

[0208] Network QQ106 may comprise one or more backhaul networks, core networks, IP networks, public switched telephone networks (PSTN), packet data networks, optical networks, wide area networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), wireless local area networks (WLANs), wired networks, wireless networks, metropolitan area networks, and other networks to enable communication between devices.

[0209] The network nodes QQ160 and WD QQ110 comprise various components, which are described in more detail below. These components cooperate to provide network node and / or wireless device functions, such as providing wireless connectivity in a wireless network. In different embodiments, the wireless network may comprise any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, base stations, controllers, wireless devices, relay stations, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals, whether via wired or wireless connections.

[0210] A network node, as used herein, refers to a device capable of, set up, configured, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with wireless devices and / or other network nodes or devices in a wireless network to enable and / or provide wireless access to wireless devices and / or to perform other functions (e.g., administration) in the wireless network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., wireless access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs) and NR Node Bs (gNBs)). Base stations may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, in other words, their transmit power levels), and may then be referred to as femto, pico, micro, or macro base stations. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node that controls a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station, such as a centralized digital unit and / or a remote radio unit (RRU), sometimes referred to as a remote radio head (RRH). Such a remote radio unit may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna-integrated radio. A part of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as a node in a distributed antenna system (DAS). Still further examples of a network node include MSR equipment such as a multi-standard radio (MSR) BS, a network controller such as a radio network controller (RNC) or a base station controller (BSC), a base transceiver station (BTS), a transmission point, a transmitting node, a multi-cell / multicast coordination entity (MCE), a core network node (e.g., MSC, MME), an O&M node, an OSS node, a SON node, a positioning node (e.g., E-SMLC), and / or an MDT. As another example, a network node may be a virtual network node, as described in more detail below.More generally, however, a network node may represent any suitable device (or group of devices) capable of, configured to, and / or operable to enable and / or provide wireless devices with access to a wireless network or to provide some service to wireless devices that have accessed the wireless network.

[0211] In FIG. 14, network node QQ160 includes processing circuit QQ170, device readable medium QQ180, interface QQ190, auxiliary equipment QQ184, power supply QQ186, power circuit QQ187, and antenna QQ162. Although the network node QQ160 shown in the example wireless network of FIG. 14 may represent a device including the shown combination of hardware components, other embodiments may include network nodes with different combinations of components. It should be understood that a network node includes any suitable combination of hardware and / or software required to perform the tasks, features, functions, and methods disclosed herein. Moreover, although the components of network node QQ160 are illustrated as a single box located within a larger box or nested within multiple boxes, in reality the network node may include multiple different physical components that make up a single shown component (e.g., device readable medium QQ180 may include multiple separate hard drives as well as multiple RAM modules).

[0212] Similarly, the network node QQ160 may be assembled from multiple physically separate components (e.g., Node B and RNC components, or BTS and BSC components, etc.), each of which may have their own respective components. In some scenarios in which the network node QQ160 comprises multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of the separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple Node Bs. In such scenarios, each unique Node B and RNC pair may be considered as a single separate network node in some cases. In some embodiments, the network node QQ160 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate device-readable media QQ180 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., the same antenna QQ162 may be shared by the RATs). Network node QQ160 may also include multiple sets of the various shown components for different wireless technologies, such as, for example, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, or Bluetooth wireless technologies, integrated into network node QQ160. These wireless technologies may be integrated in the same or different chips or sets of chips and other components within network node QQ160.

[0213] The processing circuit QQ170 is configured to perform any decision, calculation, or similar operation (e.g., some acquisition operations) described herein as being provided by a network node. These operations performed by the processing circuit QQ170 may include processing information acquired by the processing circuit QQ170, for example, by converting the acquired information into other information, comparing the acquired or converted information with information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the acquired or converted information and as a result of the processing making a decision.

[0214] The processing circuit QQ170 may comprise one or more combinations of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or coded logic operable to provide network node QQ160 functionality, either alone or in conjunction with other network node QQ160 components, such as device readable medium QQ180. For example, the processing circuit QQ170 may execute instructions stored on the device readable medium QQ180 or instructions stored in a memory within the processing circuit QQ170. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features, functions, or benefits described herein. In some embodiments, the processing circuit QQ170 may include a system on a chip (SOC).

[0215] In some embodiments, the processing circuit QQ170 may include one or more of a radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuit QQ172 and a baseband processing circuit QQ174. In some embodiments, the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuit QQ172 and the baseband processing circuit QQ174 may be on separate chips (or sets of chips), boards, or units, such as a radio unit and a digital unit. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuit QQ172 and the baseband processing circuit QQ174 may be on the same chip or set of chips, board, or unit.

[0216] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein as being provided by a network node, base station, eNB, or other such network device may be implemented by the processing circuit QQ170 executing instructions stored in a device-readable medium QQ180, or in a memory within the processing circuit QQ170. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuit QQ170 without executing instructions stored in a separate or distinct device-readable medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of those embodiments, the processing circuit QQ170 may be configured to perform the described functionality, whether or not it executes instructions stored in a device-readable storage medium. Benefits provided by such functionality are enjoyed by the processing circuit QQ170 alone, or by other components of the network node QQ160, but by the network node QQ160 as a whole, and / or by end users and wireless networks in general.

[0217] The device-readable medium QQ180 may comprise any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory, including, but not limited to, persistent storage, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., flash drive, compact disk (CD) or digital video disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory device that stores information, data, and / or instructions that may be used by the processing circuit QQ170. The device-readable medium QQ180 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including applications including one or more of computer programs, software, logic, rules, codes, tables, etc., and / or other instructions that may be executed by the processing circuit QQ170 and utilized by the network node QQ160. The device-readable medium QQ180 may be used to store calculations performed by the processing circuit QQ170 and / or data received via the interface QQ190. In some embodiments, the processing circuit QQ170 and the device-readable medium QQ180 may be considered to be integrated.

[0218] The interface QQ190 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between the network node QQ160, the network QQ106, and / or the WD QQ110. As shown, the interface QQ190 comprises a port(s) / terminal(s) QQ194 for sending and receiving data to and from the network QQ106, for example over a wired connection. The interface QQ190 also includes a radio front-end circuit QQ192, which is coupled to the antenna QQ162 or, in some embodiments, may be part of the antenna QQ162. The radio front-end circuit QQ192 comprises a filter QQ198 and an amplifier QQ196. The radio front-end circuit QQ192 may be connected to the antenna QQ162 and the processing circuit QQ170. The radio front-end circuit may be configured to condition the signal communicated between the antenna QQ162 and the processing circuit QQ170. The wireless front-end circuit QQ192 may receive digital data to be sent to other network nodes or WDs via a wireless connection. The wireless front-end circuit QQ192 may convert the digital data into a wireless signal having appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of a filter QQ198 and / or an amplifier QQ196. The wireless signal may then be transmitted via the antenna QQ162. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna QQ162 may collect the wireless signal, which is then converted to digital data by the wireless front-end circuit QQ192. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuit QQ170. In other embodiments, the interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0219] In some alternative embodiments, the network node QQ160 may not include a separate radio front-end circuit QQ192, and instead the processing circuit QQ170 may include a radio front-end circuit and may be connected to the antenna QQ162 without a separate radio front-end circuit QQ192. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or a portion of the RF transceiver circuit QQ172 may be considered part of the interface QQ190. In still other embodiments, the interface QQ190 may include one or more ports or terminals QQ194, the radio front-end circuit QQ192, and the RF transceiver circuit QQ172 as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the interface QQ190 may communicate with a baseband processing circuit QQ174 that is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0220] The antenna QQ162 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. The antenna QQ162 may be coupled to the wireless front-end circuit QQ192 and may be any type of antenna capable of wirelessly transmitting and receiving data and / or signals. In some embodiments, the antenna QQ162 may comprise one or more omnidirectional, sector or panel antennas operable to transmit / receive wireless signals, for example, between 2 GHz and 66 GHz. An omnidirectional antenna may be used to transmit / receive wireless signals in any direction, a sector antenna may be used to transmit / receive wireless signals from devices in a particular area, and a panel antenna may be a line-of-sight antenna used to transmit / receive wireless signals in a relatively straight line. In some instances, the use of more than one antenna may be referred to as MIMO. In some embodiments, the antenna QQ162 may be separate from the network node QQ160 and may be connectable to the network node QQ160 through an interface or port.

[0221] The antenna QQ162, the interface QQ190, and / or the processing circuit QQ170 may be configured to perform any receiving operation and / or some acquisition operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signal may be received from a wireless device, another network node, and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna QQ162, the interface QQ190, and / or the processing circuit QQ170 may be configured to perform any transmitting operation described herein as being performed by a network node. Any information, data, and / or signal may be transmitted to a wireless device, another network node, and / or any other network equipment.

[0222] The power circuit QQ187 may comprise or be coupled to a power management circuit and is configured to supply power to the components of the network node QQ160 for performing the functions described herein. The power circuit QQ187 may receive power from the power source QQ186. The power source QQ186 and / or the power circuit QQ187 may be configured to provide power to the various components of the network node QQ160 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at the voltage and current levels required for each respective component). The power source QQ186 may either be included in the power circuit QQ187 and / or the network node QQ160 or be external to the power circuit QQ187 and / or the network node QQ160. For example, the network node QQ160 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., an electrical outlet) via an input circuit or interface such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source supplies power to the power circuit QQ187. As a further example, the power source QQ186 may include a power source in the form of a battery or battery pack connected to or integrated in the power circuit QQ187. The battery may provide backup power in the event that the external power source fails. Other types of power sources, such as photovoltaic devices, may also be used.

[0223] Alternative embodiments of network node QQ160 may include additional components other than those shown in FIG. 14 that may be responsible for providing some aspects of the functionality of the network node, including any of the functionality described herein and / or functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, network node QQ160 may include user interface devices to enable input of information into network node QQ160 and output of information from network node QQ160. This may enable a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for network node QQ160.

[0224] A wireless device (WD) as used herein refers to a device capable of, configured to, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and / or other wireless devices. Unless otherwise noted, the term WD may be used interchangeably herein with user equipment (UE). Communicating wirelessly may involve transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic, radio, infrared, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information over the air. In some embodiments, a WD may be configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For example, a WD may be designed to transmit information to a network on a predefined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to a request from the network. Examples of WDs include, but are not limited to, smartphones, mobile phones, cell phones, voice-over-IP (VoIP) phones, wireless local loop phones, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), wireless cameras, gaming consoles or devices, music storage devices, playback appliances, wearable terminal devices, wireless endpoints, mobile stations, tablets, laptop computers, laptop embedded equipment (LEE), laptop mounted equipment (LME), smart devices, wireless customer premises equipment (CPE), in-vehicle wireless terminal devices, etc. A WD may support device-to-device (D2D) communications, for example, by implementing 3GPP standards for sidelink communications, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), in which case it may be referred to as a D2D communications device. As yet another specific example, in an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, a WD may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements and transmits results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another WD and / or network node. The WD may in this case be a machine-to-machine (M2M) device, which may be referred to as an MTC device in the 3GPP context.As one particular example, the WD may be a UE implementing the 3GPP Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) standard. Particular examples of such machines or devices are sensors, metering devices such as power meters, industrial machinery, or household or personal appliances (e.g., refrigerators, televisions, etc.), personal wearables (e.g., watches, fitness trackers, etc.). In other scenarios, the WD may represent a vehicle or other equipment capable of monitoring and / or reporting on its operational status or other functions related to its operation. The WD described above may represent an endpoint of a wireless connection, in which case the device may be referred to as a wireless terminal. Additionally, the WD described above may be mobile, in which case the device may be referred to as a mobile device or mobile terminal.

[0225] As shown, wireless device QQ110 includes antenna QQ111, interface QQ114, processing circuit QQ120, device readable medium QQ130, user interface equipment QQ132, auxiliary equipment QQ134, power supply QQ136, and power circuit QQ137. WD QQ110 may include multiple sets of one or more of the shown components for different wireless technologies supported by WD QQ110, such as, for example, GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, WiMAX, or Bluetooth wireless technologies, just to name a few. These wireless technologies may be integrated on the same or different chips or sets of chips as other components in WD QQ110.

[0226] The antenna QQ111 may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays configured to send and / or receive wireless signals and is connected to the interface QQ114. In some alternative embodiments, the antenna QQ111 may be separate from the WD QQ110 and connectable to the WD QQ110 through an interface or port. The antenna QQ111, the interface QQ114, and / or the processing circuit QQ120 may be configured to perform any receiving or transmitting operation described herein as being performed by a WD. Any information, data, and / or signal may be received from a network node and / or another WD. In some embodiments, the wireless front-end circuit and / or the antenna QQ111 may be considered an interface.

[0227] As shown, the interface QQ114 comprises a radio front-end circuit QQ112 and an antenna QQ111. The radio front-end circuit QQ112 comprises one or more filters QQ118 and an amplifier QQ116. The radio front-end circuit QQ112 is connected to the antenna QQ111 and the processing circuit QQ120 and is configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna QQ111 and the processing circuit QQ120. The radio front-end circuit QQ112 may be coupled to the antenna QQ111 or may be part of the antenna QQ111. In some embodiments, the WD QQ110 may not include a separate radio front-end circuit QQ112, rather the processing circuit QQ120 may comprise a radio front-end circuit and be connected to the antenna QQ111. Similarly, in some embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuit QQ122 may be considered part of the interface QQ114. The radio front-end circuit QQ112 may receive digital data to be sent to other network nodes or WDs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuit QQ112 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of a filter QQ118 and / or an amplifier QQ116. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna QQ111. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna QQ111 may collect the radio signal, which is then converted to digital data by the radio front-end circuit QQ112. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuit QQ120. In other embodiments, the interface may include different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0228] The processing circuitry QQ120 may comprise one or more combinations of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software, and / or coded logic operable to provide WD QQ110 functionality, either alone or in conjunction with other WD QQ110 components, such as the device readable medium QQ130. Such functionality may include providing any of the various wireless features or benefits described herein. For example, the processing circuitry QQ120 may execute instructions stored in the device readable medium QQ130 or in a memory within the processing circuitry QQ120 to provide the functionality disclosed herein.

[0229] As shown, the processing circuit QQ120 includes one or more of the RF transceiver circuit QQ122, the baseband processing circuit QQ124, and the application processing circuit QQ126. In other embodiments, the processing circuit may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components. In some embodiments, the processing circuit QQ120 of the WD QQ110 may comprise a SOC. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuit QQ122, the baseband processing circuit QQ124, and the application processing circuit QQ126 may be on separate chips or sets of chips. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the baseband processing circuit QQ124 and the application processing circuit QQ126 may be combined into one chip or set of chips, and the RF transceiver circuit QQ122 may be on a separate chip or set of chips. In further alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuitry QQ122 and the baseband processing circuitry QQ124 may be on the same chip or set of chips, and the application processing circuitry QQ126 may be on a separate chip or set of chips. In yet other alternative embodiments, some or all of the RF transceiver circuitry QQ122, the baseband processing circuitry QQ124, and the application processing circuitry QQ126 may be combined in the same chip or set of chips. In some embodiments, the RF transceiver circuitry QQ122 may be part of the interface QQ114. The RF transceiver circuitry QQ122 may condition the RF signal for the processing circuitry QQ120.

[0230] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein as being performed by the WD may be provided by the processing circuitry QQ120 executing instructions stored in a device-readable medium QQ130, which in some embodiments may be a computer-readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuitry QQ120 without executing instructions stored in a separate or distinct device-readable storage medium, such as in a hardwired manner. In any of those particular embodiments, the processing circuitry QQ120 may be configured to perform the described functionality, regardless of whether it executes instructions stored in a device-readable storage medium. Benefits provided by such functionality are enjoyed by the processing circuitry QQ120 alone or by other components of the WD QQ110, but by the WD QQ110 as a whole, and / or by end users and wireless networks in general.

[0231] The processing circuit QQ120 may be configured to perform any of the decision, calculation, or similar operations (e.g., some acquisition operations) described herein as being performed by the WD. These operations as performed by the processing circuit QQ120 may include processing information acquired by the processing circuit QQ120, for example, by converting the acquired information into other information, comparing the acquired or converted information with information stored by the WD QQ110, and / or performing one or more operations based on the acquired or converted information and as a result of the processing making a decision.

[0232] The device-readable medium QQ130 may be operable to store applications, including one or more of computer programs, software, logic, rules, codes, tables, and / or other instructions that may be executed by the processing circuit QQ120. The device-readable medium QQ130 may include computer memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM)), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., compact disk (CD) or digital video disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory device that stores information, data, and / or instructions that may be used by the processing circuit QQ120. In some embodiments, the processing circuit QQ120 and the device-readable medium QQ130 may be considered to be integrated. The user interface device QQ132 may provide components that allow a human user to interact with the WD QQ110. Such interaction may be of many forms, such as visual, auditory, tactile, etc. The user interface device QQ132 may be operable to generate output to a user and to allow the user to provide input to the WD QQ110. The type of interaction may vary depending on the type of user interface device QQ132 installed in the WD QQ110. For example, if the WD QQ110 is a smartphone, the interaction may be through a touch screen, and if the WD QQ110 is a smart meter, the interaction may be through a screen that provides usage (e.g., the number of gallons used) or a speaker that provides an audible alarm (e.g., if smoke is detected). The user interface device QQ132 may include input interfaces, devices and circuits, as well as output interfaces, devices and circuits. The user interface device QQ132 is configured to allow input of information to the WD QQ110 and is connected to the processing circuit QQ120 to allow the processing circuit QQ120 to process the input information.The user interface device QQ132 may include, for example, a microphone, proximity or other sensor, keys / buttons, a touch display, one or more cameras, a USB port, or other input circuitry. The user interface device QQ132 is also configured to enable the output of information from the WD QQ110 and to enable the processing circuitry QQ120 to output information from the WD QQ110. The user interface device QQ132 may include, for example, a speaker, a display, a vibration circuit, a USB port, a headphone interface, or other output circuitry. Using one or more input and output interfaces, devices, and circuits of the user interface device QQ132, the WD QQ110 may communicate with an end user and / or a wireless network, enabling the end user and / or the wireless network to benefit from the functionality described herein.

[0233] The auxiliary device QQ134 is operable to provide more specific functions that may not generally be implemented by the WD. It may include specialized sensors for taking measurements for various purposes, interfaces for additional types of communication such as wired communication, etc. The inclusion and type of components of the auxiliary device QQ134 may vary depending on the embodiment and / or scenario.

[0234] The power source QQ136 may be in the form of a battery or battery pack in some embodiments. Other types of power sources may also be used, such as an external power source (e.g., an electrical outlet), a photovoltaic device, or a battery. The WD QQ110 may further comprise a power circuit QQ137 for delivering power from the power source QQ136 to various parts of the WD QQ110 that require power from the power source QQ136 to perform any function described or indicated herein. The power circuit QQ137 may comprise a power management circuit in some embodiments. The power circuit QQ137 may additionally or alternatively be operable to receive power from an external power source, in which case the WD QQ110 may be connectable to an external power source (such as an electrical outlet) via an input circuit or interface, such as a power cable. The power circuit QQ137 may also be operable in some embodiments to deliver power from the external power source to the power source QQ136. This may be, for example, for charging the power source QQ136. Power circuit QQ137 may perform any formatting, converting, or other modification on the power from power source QQ136 to make the power suitable for the respective components of the WD QQ110 that it powers.

[0235] FIG. 15: User equipment according to some embodiments

[0236] FIG. 15 illustrates an embodiment of a UE according to various aspects described herein. User equipment or UE as used herein does not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates an associated device. Instead, a UE may represent a device (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller) that is intended for sale to or operation by a human user, but may not be associated with or may not be initially associated with a particular human user. Alternatively, a UE may represent a device (e.g., a smart power meter) that is not intended for sale to or operation by an end user, but may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user. The UE QQ2200 may be any UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including NB-IoT UE, Machine Type Communication (MTC) UE, and / or enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE. The UE QQ200 shown in Figure 15 is an example of a WD configured for communication according to one or more communication standards promulgated by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), such as the 3GPP GSM, UMTS, LTE, and / or 5G standards. As mentioned above, the terms WD and UE may be used interchangeably. Thus, although Figure 15 is a UE, the components described herein are equally applicable to a WD and vice versa.

[0237] In FIG. 15, UE QQ200 includes a processing circuit QQ201 operatively coupled to an input / output interface QQ205, a radio frequency (RF) interface QQ209, a network connection interface QQ211, memory QQ215 including random access memory (RAM) QQ217, read only memory (ROM) QQ219, storage medium QQ221, etc., a communication subsystem QQ231, a power source QQ213, and / or any other components, or any combination thereof. Storage medium QQ221 includes an operating system QQ223, application programs QQ225, and data QQ227. In other embodiments, storage medium QQ221 may include other similar types of information. Some UEs may utilize all of the components shown in FIG. 15 or only a subset of those components. The level of integration between components may vary from UE to UE. Additionally, some UEs may include multiple instances of components, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0238] In FIG. 15, the processing circuit QQ201 may be configured to process computer instructions and data. The processing circuit QQ201 may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operable to execute machine instructions stored in memory as a machine-readable computer program, such as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, FPGA, ASIC, etc.), programmable logic with appropriate firmware, one or more pre-programmed, general-purpose processors, such as a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP) with appropriate software, or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuit QQ201 may include two central processing units (CPUs). The data may be information in a form suitable for use by a computer.

[0239] In the illustrated embodiment, the input / output interface QQ205 may be configured to provide an input device, an output device, or a communication interface to an input / output device. The UE QQ200 may be configured to use an output device via the input / output interface QQ205. The output device may use the same type of interface port as the input device. For example, a USB port may be used to provide input to and output from the UE QQ200. The output device may be a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, an emitter, a smart card, another output device, or any combination thereof. The UE QQ200 may be configured to use an input device via the input / output interface QQ205 to allow a user to capture information on the UE QQ200. The input device may include a touch-sensitive or presence-sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a webcam, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smart card, etc. The presence sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor for sensing input from a user. The sensor may be, for example, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, a light sensor, a proximity sensor, another similar sensor, or any combination thereof. For example, the input device may be an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a digital camera, a microphone, and a light sensor.

[0240] In FIG. 15, the RF interface QQ209 may be configured to provide a communication interface to RF components, such as a transmitter, a receiver, and an antenna. The network connection interface QQ211 may be configured to provide a communication interface to the network QQ243a. The network QQ243a may encompass a wired and / or wireless network, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a computer network, a wireless network, a communication network, another similar network, or any combination thereof. For example, the network QQ243a may comprise a Wi-Fi network. The network connection interface QQ211 may be configured to include a receiver and a transmitter interface used to communicate with one or more other devices over a communication network according to one or more communication protocols, such as Ethernet, TCP / IP, SONET, ATM, etc. The network connection interface QQ211 may implement receiver and transmitter functions suitable for a communication network link (e.g., optical, electrical, etc.). The transmitter and receiver functions may share circuit components, software or firmware, or may alternatively be implemented separately.

[0241] The RAM QQ217 may be configured to interface to the processing circuit QQ201 via the bus QQ202 to provide storage or caching of data or computer instructions during execution of software programs, such as an operating system, application programs, and device drivers. The ROM QQ219 may be configured to provide computer instructions or data to the processing circuit QQ201. For example, the ROM QQ219 may be configured to store unchanging low-level system code or data for basic system functions, such as basic input / output (I / O), booting, or receiving keystrokes from a keyboard, stored in non-volatile memory. The storage medium QQ221 may be configured to include memory, such as RAM, ROM, programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disk, optical disk, floppy disk, hard disk, removable cartridge, or flash drive. In one example, storage medium QQ221 may be configured to include an operating system QQ223, an application program QQ225, such as a web browser application, a widget or gadget engine, or another application, and data files QQ227. Storage medium QQ221 may store any of a variety of different operating systems or combinations of operating systems for use by UE QQ200.

[0242] The storage medium QQ221 may be configured to include several physical drive units, such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), a floppy disk drive, a flash memory, a USB flash drive, an external hard disk drive, a thumb drive, a pen drive, a key drive, a high density digital versatile disk (HD-DVD) optical disk drive, an internal hard disk drive, a Blu-Ray optical disk drive, a holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical disk drive, an external mini dual in-line memory module (DIMM), a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), an external micro-DIMM SDRAM, a smart card memory such as a subscriber identity module or a removable user identity (SIM / RUIM) module, other memory, or any combination thereof. The storage medium QQ221 may enable the UE QQ200 to access, offload data, or upload data to computer executable instructions, application programs, etc. stored in a temporary or non-transitory memory medium. An article of manufacture, such as an article of manufacture utilizing the communication system, may be tangibly embodied in storage medium QQ221, which may comprise a device-readable medium.

[0243] In FIG. 15, the processing circuit QQ201 may be configured to communicate with the network QQ243b using the communication subsystem QQ231. The networks QQ243a and QQ243b may be the same network or networks or different networks or networks. The communication subsystem QQ231 may be configured to include one or more transceivers used to communicate with the network QQ243b. For example, the communication subsystem QQ231 may be configured to include one or more transceivers used to communicate with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication, such as another WD, UE, or base station of a radio access network (RAN), according to one or more communication protocols, such as IEEE802.QQ2, CDMA, WCDMA, GSM, LTE, UTRAN, WiMax, etc. Each transceiver may include a transmitter QQ233 and / or a receiver QQ235 for respectively implementing a transmitter function or a receiver function appropriate for a RAN link (e.g., frequency allocation, etc.). Furthermore, the transmitter QQ233 and receiver QQ235 of each transceiver may share circuit components, software or firmware, or may alternatively be implemented separately.

[0244] In the illustrated embodiment, the communication capabilities of the communication subsystem QQ231 may include data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communication such as Bluetooth, near-field communication, location-based communication such as using a global positioning system (GPS) to determine location, another similar communication capability, or any combination thereof. For example, the communication subsystem QQ231 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, Bluetooth communication, and GPS communication. The network QQ243b may encompass wired and / or wireless networks, such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a computer network, a wireless network, a communication network, another similar network, or any combination thereof. For example, the network QQ243b may be a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, and / or a near-field network. The power source QQ213 may be configured to provide alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) power to the components of the UE QQ200.

[0245] The features, benefits and / or functions described herein may be implemented in one of the components of the UE QQ200 or split across multiple components of the UE QQ200. Furthermore, the features, benefits and / or functions described herein may be implemented in any combination of hardware, software or firmware. In one example, the communication subsystem QQ231 may be configured to include any of the components described herein. Furthermore, the processing circuit QQ201 may be configured to communicate with any of such components over the bus QQ202. In another example, any of such components may be represented by program instructions stored in memory that, when executed by the processing circuit QQ201, perform the corresponding functions described herein. In another example, the functions of any of such components may be split between the processing circuit QQ201 and the communication subsystem QQ231. In another example, non-computationally intensive functions of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware, and computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0246] FIG. 16: Virtualization environment according to some embodiments.

[0247] FIG. 16 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment QQ300 in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In this context, virtualizing means creating a virtual version of an apparatus or device, which may include virtualizing a hardware platform, storage devices, and networking resources. Virtualization as used herein may be applied to a node (e.g., a virtualized base station or a virtualized radio access node) or to a device (e.g., a UE, a wireless device, or any other type of communication device) or a component of that device, and relates to implementations in which at least a portion of the functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components (e.g., via one or more applications, components, functions, virtual machines, or containers running on one or more physical processing nodes in one or more networks).

[0248] In some embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines implemented in one or more virtual environments QQ300 hosted by one or more of the hardware nodes QQ330. Furthermore, in embodiments where the virtual nodes are not wireless access nodes or do not require wireless connectivity (e.g., core network nodes), the network nodes may be fully virtualized.

[0249] The functionality may be implemented by one or more applications QQ320 (which may alternatively be referred to as software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) operable to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein. The application QQ320 is run in a virtualization environment QQ300, which provides hardware QQ330 comprising a processing circuit QQ360 and a memory QQ390. The memory QQ390 includes instructions QQ395 executable by the processing circuit QQ360 such that the application QQ320 is operable to provide one or more of the features, functions, and / or benefits of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0250] The virtualization environment QQ300 comprises a general-purpose or dedicated network hardware device QQ330 comprising a set of one or more processors or processing circuitry QQ360, which may be a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) processor, a dedicated application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or any other type of processing circuitry including digital or analog hardware components or dedicated processors. Each hardware device may comprise a memory QQ390-1, which may be a non-persistent memory for temporarily storing instructions QQ395 or software executed by the processing circuitry QQ360. Each hardware device may comprise one or more network interface controllers (NICs) QQ370, also known as network interface cards, which include a physical network interface QQ380. Each hardware device may also include a non-transitory, persistent, machine-readable storage medium QQ390-2 having stored thereon software QQ395 and / or instructions executable by the processing circuitry QQ360. Software QQ395 may include any type of software, including software for instantiating one or more virtualization layers (also called hypervisors) QQ350, software for running virtual machine QQ340, and software that enables it to perform the functions, features and / or benefits described in connection with some of the embodiments described herein.

[0251] The virtual machine QQ340 may comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interfaces, and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer QQ350 or hypervisor. Different embodiments of the virtual appliance QQ320 instance may be implemented on one or more of the virtual machines QQ340, and the implementation may be done in different ways.

[0252] During operation, the processing circuitry QQ360 executes software QQ395 to instantiate a hypervisor or virtualization layer QQ350, sometimes referred to as a virtual machine monitor (VMM). The virtualization layer QQ350 may present to the virtual machine QQ340 a virtual operating platform that appears as networking hardware.

[0253] As shown in Figure 16, the hardware QQ330 may be a standalone network node with general or specific components. The hardware QQ330 may include an antenna QQ3225 and may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, the hardware QQ330 may be part of a larger cluster of hardware (e.g., as in the case of a data center or customer premises equipment (CPE)) where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via a management and orchestration (MANO) QQ3100 that oversees, among other things, the lifecycle management of the application QQ320.

[0254] Hardware virtualization is referred to in some contexts as network function virtualization (NFV). NFV can be used to consolidate many network equipment types onto industry-standard high-volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage that may be located in data centers and customer premises equipment.

[0255] In the context of NFV, virtual machine QQ340 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if those programs were running on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each virtual machine QQ340 and the portion of the hardware QQ330 on which it runs, whether hardware dedicated to that virtual machine and / or hardware shared by that virtual machine with other ones of virtual machines QQ340, form a separate Virtual Network Element (VNE).

[0256] Further in the context of NFV, a Virtual Network Function (VNF) is responsible for handling a specific network function running in one or more virtual machines QQ340 on top of the hardware networking infrastructure QQ330, and corresponds to application QQ320 in FIG. 16.

[0257] In some embodiments, one or more radio units QQ3200, each including one or more transmitters QQ3220 and one or more receivers QQ3210, may be coupled to one or more antennas QQ3225. The radio units QQ3200 may communicate directly with the hardware node QQ330 via one or more suitable network interfaces and may be used in combination with virtual components to provide a virtual node with wireless capabilities, such as a wireless access node or base station.

[0258] In some embodiments, some signaling may be realized using the control system QQ3230, which may alternatively be used for communication between the hardware node QQ330 and the wireless unit QQ3200.

[0259] FIG. 17: A communications network connected to a host computer through an intermediate network, according to some embodiments.

[0260] Referring to Fig. 17, according to one embodiment, a communication system includes a communication network QQ410, such as a 3GPP type cellular network, comprising an access network QQ411, such as a wireless access network, and a core network QQ414. The access network QQ411 comprises a number of base stations QQ412a, QQ412b, QQ412c, such as NBs, eNBs, gNBs or other types of wireless access points, each defining a corresponding coverage area QQ413a, QQ413b, QQ413c. Each base station QQ412a, QQ412b, QQ412c is connectable to the core network QQ414 over a wired or wireless connection QQ415. A first UE QQ491 located in the coverage area QQ413c is configured to wirelessly connect to or be paged by the corresponding base station QQ412c. A second UE QQ492 in the coverage area QQ413a can wirelessly connect to the corresponding base station QQ412a. Although multiple UEs QQ491, QQ492 are shown in this example, the disclosed embodiments are equally applicable to situations where only one UE is in the coverage area or only one UE connects to the corresponding base station QQ412.

[0261] The communication network QQ410 is itself connected to a host computer QQ430, which may be embodied in hardware and / or software of a standalone server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, or as a processing resource in a server farm. The host computer QQ430 may be owned or controlled by a service provider, or may be operated by or on behalf of the service provider. The connections QQ421 and QQ422 between the communication network QQ410 and the host computer QQ430 may extend directly from the core network QQ414 to the host computer QQ430, or may proceed via an optional intermediate network QQ420. The intermediate network QQ420 may be one of a public network, a private network, or a hosted network, or a combination of two or more of them, and the intermediate network QQ420 may be a backbone network or the Internet, if any, and in particular the intermediate network QQ420 may comprise two or more sub-networks (not shown).

[0262] The communication system of FIG. 17 as a whole enables connectivity between connected UEs QQ491, QQ492 and a host computer QQ430. The connectivity may be described as an over-the-top (OTT) connection QQ450. The host computer QQ430 and connected UEs QQ491, QQ492 are configured to communicate data and / or signaling via the OTT connection QQ450 using the access network QQ411, the core network QQ414, any intermediate network QQ420, and possible further infrastructure (not shown) as intermediaries. The OTT connection QQ450 may be transparent in the sense that participating communication devices through which the OTT connection QQ450 passes are unaware of the routing of the uplink and downlink communications. For example, base station QQ412 may not be aware or need not be aware of the past routing of incoming downlink communications involving data originating from host computer QQ430 that is to be forwarded (e.g., handed over) to connected UE QQ491. Similarly, base station QQ412 does not need to be aware of the future routing of outgoing uplink communications originating from UE QQ491 and destined for host computer QQ430.

[0263] FIG. 18: A host computer communicating with user equipment via a base station over a partially wireless connection, according to some embodiments.

[0264] Next, an exemplary implementation of the UE, base station and host computer described in the previous paragraph according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 18. In the communication system QQ500, the host computer QQ510 comprises hardware QQ515, including a communication interface QQ516 configured to set up and maintain wired or wireless connections with interfaces of different communication devices of the communication system QQ500. The host computer QQ510 further comprises a processing circuit QQ518, which may have storage and / or processing capabilities. In particular, the processing circuit QQ518 may comprise one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. The host computer QQ510 further comprises software QQ511, which is stored in or accessible by the host computer QQ510 and is executable by the processing circuit QQ518. The software QQ511 includes a host application QQ512. The host application QQ512 may be operable to provide services to a remote user, such as the UE QQ530 connecting via an OTT connection QQ550 that terminates at the UE QQ530 and the host computer QQ510. In providing services to the remote user, the host application QQ512 may provide user data that is transmitted using the OTT connection QQ550.

[0265] The communication system QQ500 further includes a base station QQ520 provided in the communication system, the base station QQ520 comprising hardware QQ525 enabling the base station QQ520 to communicate with the host computer QQ510 and the UE QQ530. The hardware QQ525 may include a communication interface QQ526 for setting up and maintaining wired or wireless connections with interfaces of different communication devices of the communication system QQ500, as well as a wireless interface QQ527 for setting up and maintaining at least a wireless connection QQ570 with a UE QQ530 located in a coverage area (not shown in FIG. 18) served by the base station QQ520. The communication interface QQ526 may be configured to facilitate a connection QQ560 to the host computer QQ510. The connection QQ560 may be direct, or the connection QQ560 may pass through a core network (not shown in FIG. 18) of the communication system and / or one or more intermediate networks outside the communication system. In the illustrated embodiment, the hardware QQ525 of the base station QQ520 further includes a processing circuit QQ528, which may comprise one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. The base station QQ520 further has software QQ521 stored internally or accessible via an external connection.

[0266] The communication system QQ500 further includes the UE QQ530 already mentioned. The hardware QQ535 of the UE QQ530 may include a radio interface QQ537 configured to set up and maintain a radio connection QQ570 with a base station serving the coverage area in which the UE QQ530 is currently located. The hardware QQ535 of the UE QQ530 further includes a processing circuit QQ538, which may include one or more programmable processors, application specific integrated circuits, field programmable gate arrays, or combinations thereof (not shown) adapted to execute instructions. The UE QQ530 further includes software QQ531 stored in or accessible by the UE QQ530 and executable by the processing circuit QQ538. The software QQ531 includes a client application QQ532. The client application QQ532 may be operable to provide services to a human or non-human user through the UE QQ530 with the support of the host computer QQ510. At the host computer QQ510, the running host application QQ512 may communicate with the running client application QQ532 through an OTT connection QQ550 that terminates at the UE QQ530 and the host computer QQ510. In providing services to the user, the client application QQ532 may receive request data from the host application QQ512 and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection QQ550 may transfer both the request data and the user data. The client application QQ532 may interact with the user to generate the user data that the client application QQ532 provides.

[0267] It should be noted that the host computer QQ510, base station QQ520 and UE QQ530 shown in Figure 18 may be similar or equivalent to the host computer QQ430, one of the base stations QQ412a, QQ412b, QQ412c and one of the UEs QQ491, QQ492, respectively, of Figure 17. That is, the inner workings of these entities may be as shown in Figure 18, and separately, the surrounding network topology may be that of Figure 17.

[0268] In FIG. 18, the OTT connection QQ550 is depicted abstractly to show communication between the host computer QQ510 and the UE QQ530 via the base station QQ520, without explicit reference to intermediary devices and the exact routing of messages through these devices. The network infrastructure may determine the routing, and the network infrastructure may be configured to hide the routing from the UE QQ530 or from the service provider operating the host computer QQ510, or both. The network infrastructure may also make decisions to dynamically change the routing (e.g., based on load balancing considerations or reconfiguration of the network) while the OTT connection QQ550 is active.

[0269] The wireless connection QQ570 between the UE QQ530 and the base station QQ520 follows the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. One or more of the various embodiments may improve the performance of the OTT service provided to the UE QQ530 using the OTT connection QQ550 of which the wireless connection QQ570 forms the last segment. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments may improve the deblocking filter processing for video processing, thereby providing benefits such as improved video encoding and / or decoding.

[0270] Measurement procedures may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rates, latencies, and other factors that one or more embodiments improve upon. There may further be an optional network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection QQ550 between the host computer QQ510 and the UE QQ530 in response to fluctuations in the measurement results. The measurement procedures and / or the network function for reconfiguring the OTT connection QQ550 may be implemented in the software QQ511 and hardware QQ515 of the host computer QQ510 or in the software QQ531 and hardware QQ535 of the UE QQ530, or both. In an embodiment, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or associated with the communication devices through which the OTT connection QQ550 passes, and the sensors may participate in the measurement procedures by providing values ​​of the monitored quantities exemplified above, or by providing values ​​of other physical quantities from which the software QQ511, QQ531 may calculate or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguration of the OTT connection QQ550 may include message formats, retransmission settings, preferred routing, etc., and the reconfiguration need not affect the base station QQ520, and the reconfiguration may be unknown or imperceptible to the base station QQ520. Such procedures and functions may be known and practiced in the art. In some embodiments, the measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates the host computer QQ510 measurements of throughput, propagation time, latency, etc. The measurements may be implemented in software QQ511 and QQ531 causing messages, particularly empty or "dummy" messages, to be sent using the OTT connection QQ550 while the software QQ511 and QQ531 monitor propagation times, errors, etc.

[0271] FIG. 19: A method implemented in a communications system including a host computer, a base station, and user equipment, according to some embodiments.

[0272] FIG. 19 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be as described with reference to FIG. 17 and FIG. 18. For simplicity of the disclosure, only drawing references to FIG. 19 are included in this section. In step QQ610, the host computer provides user data. In sub-step QQ611 (which may be optional) of step QQ610, the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In step QQ620, the host computer initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE. In step QQ630 (which may be optional), the base station transmits the user data carried in the host computer initiated transmission to the UE, according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step QQ640 (which may also be optional), the UE executes a client application associated with the host application executed by the host computer.

[0273] FIG. 20: A method implemented in a communications system including a host computer, a base station, and user equipment, according to some embodiments.

[0274] FIG. 20 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be as described with reference to FIG. 17 and FIG. 18. For simplicity of the disclosure, only drawing references to FIG. 20 are included in this section. In step QQ710 of the method, the host computer provides user data. In an optional sub-step (not shown), the host computer provides the user data by executing a host application. In step QQ720, the host computer initiates a transmission carrying the user data to the UE. The transmission may proceed via the base station according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step QQ730 (which may be optional), the UE receives the user data carried in the transmission.

[0275] FIG. 21: A method implemented in a communications system including a host computer, a base station, and user equipment, according to some embodiments.

[0276] FIG. 21 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be as described with reference to FIG. 17 and FIG. 18. For simplicity of the disclosure, only drawing references to FIG. 21 are included in this section. In step QQ810 (which may be optional), the UE receives input data provided by the host computer. Additionally or alternatively, in step QQ820, the UE provides user data. In sub-step QQ821 (which may be optional) of step QQ820, the UE provides user data by executing a client application. In sub-step QQ811 (which may be optional) of step QQ810, the UE executes a client application that provides user data in response to the received input data provided by the host computer. In providing the user data, the executed client application may further take into account user input received from the user. Regardless of the particular manner in which the user data is provided, the UE initiates transmission of the user data to the host computer in sub-step QQ830 (which may be optional). In method step QQ840, the host computer receives user data transmitted from the UE according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure.

[0277] FIG. 22: A method implemented in a communications system including a host computer, a base station, and user equipment, according to some embodiments.

[0278] FIG. 22 is a flow chart illustrating a method implemented in a communication system according to one embodiment. The communication system includes a host computer, a base station, and a UE, which may be as described with reference to FIG. 17 and FIG. 18. For simplicity of the disclosure, only drawing references to FIG. 22 are included in this section. In step QQ910 (which may be optional), the base station receives user data from the UE, according to the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step QQ920 (which may be optional), the base station initiates transmission of the received user data to the host computer. In step QQ930 (which may be optional), the host computer receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the base station.

[0279] Any suitable steps, methods, features, functions, or benefits disclosed herein may be implemented through one or more functional units or modules of one or more virtual devices. Each virtual device may comprise several of these functional units. These functional units may be implemented via processing circuitry, which may include one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers, as well as other digital hardware, which may include digital signal processors (DSPs), dedicated digital logic, and the like. The processing circuitry may be configured to execute program code stored in memory, which may include one or several types of memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), cache memory, flash memory devices, optical storage devices, and the like. The program code stored in memory includes program instructions for implementing one or more communication and / or data communication protocols, as well as instructions for performing one or more of the techniques described herein. In some implementations, the processing circuitry may be used to cause each functional unit to perform a corresponding function according to one or more embodiments.

[0280] The term unit may have its conventional meaning in the field of electronics, electrical devices, and / or electronic devices and may include, for example, electric and / or electronic circuits, devices, modules, processors, memories, logical solid and / or discrete devices, computer programs or instructions, etc., for performing a respective task, procedure, computation, output, and / or display function, such as those described herein.

Claims

1. A method of operating a UE (100), comprising: configuring 1206 two PUCCH groups, each PUCCH group comprising a plurality of cells, and wherein HARQ-ACK feedback related to DL transmissions on the cells in a first PUCCH group is transmitted in an UL of a primary cell (PCell) of the first PUCCH group and the HARQ-ACK feedback related to DL transmissions on the cells in a second PUCCH group is transmitted in the UL of a primary cell (PSCell) or on a PUCCH secondary cell (PUCCH-SCell) of the second PUCCH group; receiving 1208 a configuration for switching a PUCCH carrier on which the HARQ-ACK feedback is transmitted within at least one of the PUCCH groups; Including, The UE is configured to dynamically switch the PUCCH carrier on which HARQ-ACK feedback is transmitted via an RRC parameter for enabling dynamic PUCCH carrier switching.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the RRC parameters for enabling dynamic PUCCH carrier switching are applied to a HARQ-ACK codebook with a certain index / priority.

3. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein when a UE is configured with a PUCCH resource configuration for two or more carriers in a PUCCH group, the UE is implicitly configured to dynamically switch the carrier on which HARQ-ACK feedback is transmitted.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the UE is configured with separate PUCCH configurations for a number of cells of the PUCCH group, the separate PUCCH configurations defining the UL cells from which HARQ-ACK should be transmitted.

5. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the UE is configured with a single PUCCH configuration that applies to multiple UL cells of the PUCCH group and defines the UL cell from which a HARQ-ACK should be transmitted.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the PUCCH configuration applies to UL cells in multiple PUCCH groups.

7. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a first cell of the PUCCH group is an uplink cell, and a set of downlink cells of the PUCCH group is configured for the uplink cell that can have a corresponding HARQ-ACK feedback message sent on the first cell.

8. 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a first cell of the PUCCH group is a downlink cell, and a set of uplink cells of the PUCCH group that can be used to carry a corresponding HARQ-ACK feedback message for a message received on the first cell is configured on the downlink cell.

9. 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein a set of applicable UL cells in the PUCCH group is configured in the UE, and the set can be used to carry HARQ-ACK feedback corresponding to DL transmissions in any DL cell in the PUCCH group.

10. 10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the carriers in the PUCCH group, from which HARQ-ACK feedback is transmitted, are implemented based on an indication in a PUCCH resource indicator field in downlink control information (DCI).

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a serving cell ID identifying an UL cell from which a HARQ-ACK feedback is transmitted is included in a PUCCH resource configuration of a radio resource configuration message used to configure the UE to switch the PUCCH carrier from which the HARQ-ACK feedback is transmitted.

12. The method of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a DCI field is used to select an UL cell to use for HARQ-ACK feedback.

13. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein a PUCCH carrier indication for HARQ-ACK feedback of a Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SPS) PDSCH is included in an activation DCI for each SPS configuration.

14. 14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the UE is configured to switch the PUCCH carrier on which HARQ-ACK feedback is transmitted based on two possible PUCCH cell indices received by the UE, and a one-bit field in a DCI scheduling a PDSCH is used to indicate the PUCCH cell / carrier.

15. 15. The method of claim 1, wherein timing constraints are imposed on UE processing times when the UE operates with dynamic PUCCH carrier switching.

16. When the UE is configured to operate with dynamic PUCCH carrier switching, the extra time offset Δ is ｐｒｏｃ，１ The method of claim 13, further comprising:

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the extra time offset depends on a subcarrier spacing.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the extra time offset is dependent on a processing time capability of the UE.

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