Uplink channel time resource

Abstract

To provide a method for transmitting an uplink (UL) shared channel that supports shorter time resources.SOLUTION: In a radio access network, a method includes receiving, from a network node serving a cell in the radio access network, a configuration of resources for transmitting information on a UL shared channel. The configuration indicates a plurality of particular time-slots during which transmission on the UL shared channel is allowed and includes: a periodicity parameter indicating a plurality of consecutive time-slots; and an allowance parameter indicating a plurality of particular time-slots, within the plurality, during which transmission on the UL shared channel is allowed. The allowance parameter can be conveyed in various ways. The method also includes transmitting information on the UL shared channel during at least one of the particular time-slots.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to wireless communication networks and, in particular, to setting time resources on an uplink channel.

Background Art

[0002] In general, all terms used in this specification should be interpreted according to their ordinary meanings in the relevant technical field, unless a different meaning is clearly given and / or implied from the context in which they are used. References to elements, devices, components, means, steps, etc. should all be construed liberally as referring to at least one instance of the element, device, component, means, step, etc., unless otherwise specified. The steps of any method disclosed herein need not be performed in the exact order disclosed, unless the step is explicitly described as being after or before another step and / or it is implicit that the step must be after or before another step. Any feature of any embodiment disclosed herein may be applied to any other embodiment, where appropriate. Similarly, any advantage of any embodiment can be applied to any other embodiment, and vice versa. Other objects, features, and advantages of the accompanying embodiments will become apparent from the following description.

[0003] LTE (Long Term Evolution) is a general term for so-called fourth-generation (4G) wireless access technologies that were developed within the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and first standardized in Releases 8 and 9, also known as Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN). LTE targets various licensed frequency bands and involves improvements in non-radio aspects, generally referred to as System Architecture Evolution (SAE), including an evolved packet core (EPC) network. LTE has continued to evolve through subsequent releases. One of the features of Release 11 is the enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH), which aims to increase the capacity of control channel resources and improve spatial reuse, improve inter-dell interference coordination (ICIC), and support antenna beamforming and / or transmit diversity for the control channel.

[0004] An overall exemplary architecture of a network including LTE and SAE is shown in FIG. 1. The E-UTRAN 100 comprises one or more evolved Node Bs (eNBs), such as eNBs 105, 110, and 115, and one or more user equipments (UEs), such as UE 120. As used within the 3GPP specifications, a "user equipment" or "UE" means any wireless communication device (e.g., a smartphone or computing device) that can communicate with 3GPP specification-compliant network equipment, including E-UTRAN as well as UTRAN and / or GERAN, as third-generation ("3G") and second-generation ("2G") 3GPP radio access networks.

[0005] As defined by 3GPP, E-UTRAN 100 is responsible for all radio-related functions within the network, including radio bearer control, radio admission control, radio mobility control, scheduling, dynamic allocation of resources to the UE in the uplink and downlink, and security of communication with the UE. These functions are present in eNBs such as eNB 105, 110, 115. The eNBs within E-UTRAN communicate with each other via the X1 interface as shown in FIG. 1. The eNB also bears the E-UTRAN interface to the EPC 130, specifically the S1 interface to the mobility management entity (MME) and serving gateway (SGW), collectively shown as MME / S-GW 134 and 138 in FIG. 1. Generally speaking, the MME / S-GW processes both the overall control of the UE and the data flow between the UE and the rest of the EPC. More specifically, the MME processes the signaling (e.g., control plane) protocol between the UE and the EPC, known as the non-access stratum (NAS) protocol. The S-GW processes all Internet protocol (IP) data packets (such as data or user plane) between the UE and the EPC and functions as the local mobility anchor for the data bearer when the UE moves between eNBs such as eNB 105, 110, 115.

[0006] The EPC 130 can also include a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) 131 that manages user and subscriber-related information. The HSS 131 can also provide support functions in mobility management, call and session setup, user authentication, and access authorization. The functions of the HSS 131 can be related to the functions or operations of the legacy Home Location Register (HLR) and Authentication Centre (AuC).

[0007] In some embodiments, the HSS 131 can communicate with a User Data Repository (UDR) labeled as EPC-UDR 135 in FIG. 1 via the Ud interface. The EPC-UDR 135 can store user credentials after being encrypted by an AuC algorithm. These algorithms are non-standardized (i.e., vendor-specific) so that the encrypted credentials stored in the EPC-UDR 135 cannot be accessed by any vendor other than the vendor of the HSS 131.

[0008] FIG. 2A shows a high-level block diagram of an exemplary LTE architecture with respect to its constituent entities, the UE, E-UTRAN, and EPC, and a high-level functional split into an access stratum (AS) and a non-access stratum (NAS). FIG. 2A also shows two specific interface points, namely, the Uu (UE / e-UTRAN radio interface) and the S1 (e-UTRAN / EPC interface), each of which uses a specific set of protocols, namely, the radio protocol and the S1 protocol. Each of the two protocols can be further segmented into user plane (or "U plane") and control plane (or "C plane") protocol functions. In the Uu interface, the U plane carries user information (e.g., data packets), and the C plane carries control information between the UE and the E-UTRAN.

[0009] Figure 2B shows a block diagram of an exemplary C-plane protocol stack on the Uu interface including the Physical (PHY), Medium Access Control (MAC), Radio Link Control (RLC), Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), and Radio Resource Control (RRC) layers. The PHY layer is concerned with how and what characteristics are used to transfer data over the transport channels on the LTE radio interface. The MAC layer provides data transfer services on the logical channels, maps the logical channels to the PHY transport channels, and reallocates PHY resources to support these services. The RLC layer provides error detection and / or correction, concatenation, segmentation, and reassembly, and reordering of data transferred between upper layers. The PHY, MAC, and RLC layers perform the same functions for both the U-plane and the C-plane. The PDCP layer provides encryption / decryption and integrity protection for both the U-plane and the C-plane, and other functions for the U-plane such as header compression.

[0010] Figure 2C shows a block diagram of an exemplary LTE radio interface protocol architecture from the perspective of the PHY. The interfaces between the various layers are provided by the service access points (SAPs) shown as ellipses in Figure 2C. The PHY layer interacts with the MAC and RRC protocol layers described above. The MAC provides different logical channels to the RLC protocol layer (also described above), which is characterized by the type of information transferred, while the PHY provides a transport channel to the MAC that is characterized by how information is transferred over the radio interface. In providing this transport service, the PHY performs various functions including error detection and correction, rate matching and mapping of the coded transport channel to the physical channel, power weighting, modulation, and demodulation of the physical channel, transmit diversity, beamforming multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna processing, and provision of radio measurements to upper layers such as RRC.

[0011] Generally speaking, a physical channel corresponds to a set of resource elements that carry information transmitted from a higher layer. The downlink (i.e., from eNB to UE) physical channels provided by LTE PHY include the Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH), Physical Multicast Channel (PMCH), Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH), Relay Physical Downlink Control Channel (R-PDCCH), Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH), Physical Control Format Indicator Channel (PCFICH), and Physical Hybrid ARQ Indicator Channel (PHICH). Furthermore, the LTE PHY downlink includes various reference signals, synchronization signals, and discovery signals.

[0012] The PDSCH is the main physical channel used for unicast downlink data transmission, but it is also used for the transmission of RAR (Random Access Response), specific system information blocks, and paging information. The PBCH carries the basic system information necessary for the UE to access the network. The PDCCH is used to transmit downlink control information (DCI), mainly scheduling decisions, necessary for the reception of the PDSCH, and for uplink scheduling grants that enable transmission on the PUSCH.

[0013] The uplink (i.e., from UE to eNB) physical channels provided by LTE PHY include the Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH), Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), and Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH). In addition, the LTE PHY uplink includes various reference signals, including the Demodulation Reference Signal (DM-RS) transmitted to assist the eNB in receiving the associated PUCCH or PUSCH, and the Sounding Reference Signal (SRS) that is not associated with any uplink channel.

[0014] The PUSCH is the uplink corresponding to the PDSCH. The PUCCH is used by the UE to transmit uplink control information including HARQ acknowledgment responses, channel state information reports, etc., and the PRACH is used for random access preamble transmission.

[0015] The multiple access scheme of LTE PHY is based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) with a cyclic prefix (CP) in the downlink and single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) with a cyclic prefix in the uplink. To support transmission in paired and unpaired spectrums, LTE PHY supports both frequency division duplexing (FDD) (including both full-duplex and half-duplex operations) and time division duplexing (TDD). Figure 3A shows an exemplary radio frame structure (“Type 1”) used for LTE PHY downlink (DL) operation. The DL radio frame has a fixed duration of 10 ms and consists of 20 slots labeled 0 to 19, each having a fixed duration of 0.5 ms. A 1 ms subframe contains two consecutive slots, and subframe i consists of slots 2i and 2i + 1. Each exemplary FDD DL slot consists of N DL symb OFDM symbols, and each OFDM symbol consists of N sc OFDM subcarriers. Exemplary values of N DL symb can be 7 (with normal CP) or 6 (with extended long CP) for a subcarrier spacing (SCS) of 15 kHz. N sc is configurable based on the available channel bandwidth. Since those skilled in the art are proficient in the principles of OFDM, further details are omitted in this description.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 3A, a combination of specific sub - carriers in a specific symbol is known as a resource element (RE). Each RE is used to transmit a specific number of bits depending on the type of modulation and / or bit - mapping constellation used for that RE. For example, some REs can carry 2 bits using QPSK modulation, and other REs can carry 4 or 6 bits using 16 or 64 QAM respectively. Also, the radio resources of LTE PHY are defined by physical resource blocks (PRBs). A PRB spans N DL symb sub - carriers over the duration of a slot (i.e., N RB sc symbols). Here, N RB sc is usually either 12 (for 15 kHz sub - carrier bandwidth) or 24 (for 7.5 kHz bandwidth). PRBs that span the same N DL symb sub - carriers across the entire sub - frame (i.e., 2N RB sc symbols) are known as PRB pairs. Thus, the resources available within a sub - frame of LTE PHY DL include N DL RB PRB pairs, each containing 2N DL symb · N RB sc REs. For normal CP and 15 KHz SCS, a PRB pair contains 168 REs.

[0017] One of the typical characteristics of a PRB is a sequence of numbered PRBs (e.g., PRB i and PRB i+1) includes a continuous block of subcarriers. For example, in the case of normal CP and a 15 KHz subcarrier bandwidth, PRB0 is composed of subcarriers 0 to 11, and PRB1 is composed of subcarriers 12 to 23. The LTE PHY resources can also be defined with respect to virtual resource blocks (VRBs) that are the same size as the PRBs but can be either of a localized type or a distributed type. A localized VRB can be directly mapped to a PRB such that VRB n VRB corresponds to PRB n PRB = n VRB . On the other hand, a distributed VRB can be mapped to discontinuous PRBs according to various rules as described in 3GPP Technical Specification (TS) 36.213 or as known to those skilled in the art. However, in the present disclosure, the term "PRB" is used to refer to both physical resource blocks and virtual resource blocks. Further, the term "PRB" is used hereinafter to refer to resource blocks during the period of a subframe, i.e., a PRB pair, unless otherwise specified.

[0018] Figure 3B shows an exemplary LTE FDD uplink (UL) radio frame configured in a similar manner to the exemplary FDD DL radio frame shown in Figure 3A. Using terms consistent with the above DL description, each UL slot consists of N UL symb OFDM symbols, and each OFDM symbol consists of N sc OFDM subcarriers.

[0019] As described above, the LTE PHY maps various DL and UL physical channels to the resources shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, respectively. For example, the PHICH carries HARQ feedback (e.g., ACK / NAK) for UL transmission by the UE. Similarly, the PDCCH carries scheduling assignments, channel quality feedback (e.g., CSI) for UL channels, and other control information. Similarly, the PUCCH carries uplink control information such as scheduling requests, CSI for downlink channels, HARQ feedback for eNB DL transmission, and other control information. Both the PDCCH and the PUCCH can be transmitted on an aggregation of one or several consecutive control channel elements (CCEs), and the CCEs are mapped to physical resources based on resource element groups (REGs) each composed of a plurality of resource elements (REs). For example, a CCE can comprise nine REGs, each of which can comprise four REs.

[0020] In LTE, DL transmissions are dynamically scheduled, i.e., in each subframe, the base station transmits control information indicating which terminals data is to be transmitted to and on which resource blocks the data is to be transmitted in the current downlink subframe. This control signaling is typically transmitted in the first n OFDM symbols within each subframe, and the number n (= 1, 2, 3, or 4) is known as the control format indicator (CFI) indicated by the PCFICH transmitted in the first symbol of the control region.

[0021] LTE is mainly designed for user - to - user communication, while 5G (also called "NR") cellular networks are expected to support both high single - user data rates (e.g., 1 Gb / s) and massive machine - to - machine communication including short - burst transmissions from many different devices sharing the frequency bandwidth. The 5G radio standard (also called "New radio" or "NR") is currently targeting a wide range of data services including eMBB (enhanced Mobile Broad Band), URLLC (Ultra - Reliable Low Latency Communication), and machine - type communication (MTC). These services can have different requirements and purposes. For example, URLLC is intended to provide data services with extremely strict error and latency requirements, e.g., -5 a below - 10

[0022] error probability and an end - to - end latency (waiting time) of less than 1 ms. In the case of eMBB, the requirements regarding latency and error probability may not be as strict, but the required supported peak rate and / or spectral efficiency may be higher. In contrast, URLLC services require low - latency and highly reliable transmissions, probably for medium - level data speeds.

[0023] Similar to LTE, NR uses CP - OFDM (Cyclic Prefix Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) in the downlink and both CP - OFDM and DFT - spread OFDM (DFT - S - OFDM) in the uplink. In the time domain, the downlink and uplink physical resources of NR are each organized into sub - frames of equal size of 1 ms. The sub - frame is further divided into a plurality of slots of equal duration, and each slot contains a plurality of OFDM - based symbols. The slots of NR can contain 14 OFDM symbols with a normal cyclic prefix and 12 OFDM symbols for an extended cyclic prefix.One solution for low-latency data transmission is a shorter transmission interval. In addition to slot-based transmission, NR PHY enables mini-slot transmission. A mini-slot can include from one symbol to one symbol less than the number of symbols in a slot and can start from any symbol within the slot. Nevertheless, since the concepts of slots and mini-slots are not specific to a particular service, mini-slots can be used for any of eMBB, URLLC, or other services.

[0024] Mini-slots can be used when the transmission period of a slot is too long or when the occurrence of the next slot start (slot alignment) is too late. Applications of mini-slots include latency-critical transmission (where both mini-slot length and mini-slot frequency are important) and unlicensed (license-free) spectrum (e.g., NR-U) where mini-slot frequency is particularly important.

[0025] To enable a node to transmit in an unlicensed spectrum (such as the 5 GHz band), it is usually necessary to perform Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) or Clear Channel Assessment (CCA). This procedure can include sensing the medium as idle (free) for a number of time intervals, which can be done in various ways including energy detection, preamble detection, or virtual carrier sensing. In virtual carrier sensing, the node reads control information from other transmitting nodes that notifies when the transmission has ended. After sensing the medium as idle, the node is typically permitted to transmit for a certain amount of time, called a transmission opportunity (TXOP). The length of the TXOP depends on the adjustment and type of CCA performed but is typically in the range of 1 ms to 10 ms.

[0026] Regarding the unlicensed spectrum applications, the NR mini-slots enable the nodes to access the channel at much finer time intervals compared to the LTE Licensed Assisted Access (LAA) where the channel can only be accessed every 500 μs. For example, in the 60 kHz SCS and 2-symbol mini-slots in NR, the channel can be accessed at 36 μs intervals.

[0027] The above-mentioned NR mini-slots offer advantages for unlicensed operations (e.g., NR-U), but also incorporate various issues, problems, and / or drawbacks regarding the flexibility to allocate or exclude the use of specific UL symbol(s) or mini-slots by the UE. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0028] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide certain improvements in communication between a user equipment (UE) and a network node in a wireless communication network, such as by facilitating solutions to overcome the above-exemplified problems.

[0029] Some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure include methods and / or procedures for transmitting information on an uplink (UL) shared channel within a cell of a radio access network (RAN). The exemplary methods and / or procedures may be performed by a user equipment (e.g., a UE, a wireless device, an IoT device, a modem, etc., or components thereof) communicating with a network node (e.g., a base station, an eNB, a gNB, etc., or components thereof) configured to serve a cell in the RAN.

[0030] These exemplary methods and / or procedures can include receiving, from a network node providing service to a cell, a configuration of resources for transmitting information on an UL shared channel. In some embodiments, the UL shared channel can be a PUSCH. For example, the UE can receive the configuration via DCI on the PDCCH or RRC signaling on the PDSCH. The configuration can indicate a specific plurality of time slots in which transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted, and can include a periodic parameter indicating a plurality of consecutive time slots. The configuration can also include a permission parameter indicating a specific plurality of time slots within the plurality of consecutive time slots, during which transmission on the UL shared channel is allowed. The permission parameter can be conveyed in various ways, such as by a start slot, a bitmap, etc. In some embodiments, the configuration can also indicate symbols in a specific plurality of time slots in which transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted.

[0031] The exemplary methods and / or procedures can also include transmitting information on the UL shared channel during at least one of the specific plurality of time slots indicated by the received configuration.

[0032] Other exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure include methods and / or procedures for scheduling transmission of information on an uplink (UL) shared channel within a cell of a radio access network (RAN) by a user equipment (UE). The exemplary methods and / or procedures can be performed by a network node (e.g., a base station, an eNB, a gNB, etc., or components thereof) configured to communicate with a user equipment (e.g., a UE, a wireless device, an IoT device, etc., or components thereof) to provide service to the cell.

[0033] These exemplary methods and / or procedures can include transmitting to a UE operating within a cell a configuration of resources for transmitting information on the UL shared channel. In some embodiments, the UL shared channel can be a PUSCH. For example, a network node can transmit the configuration via DCI on the PDCCH or via RRC signaling on the PDSCH. The configuration can indicate a specific plurality of time slots in which transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted and can include a periodic parameter indicating a plurality of consecutive time slots. The configuration can also include a permission parameter indicating a specific plurality of time slots within a plurality of consecutive time slots during which transmission on the UL shared channel is allowed. The permission parameter can be conveyed in various ways, such as by a start slot, a bitmap, etc. In some embodiments, the configuration can also indicate symbols in specific plurality of time slots in which transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted.

[0034] The exemplary methods and / or procedures can also include receiving from the UE information regarding the UL shared channel during at least one of the specific plurality of time slots indicated by the received configuration.

[0035] Other exemplary embodiments include a network node (e.g., a base station, eNB, gNB, etc., or components thereof) or a user equipment (UE, e.g., a wireless device, an IoT device, etc., or components thereof) configured to perform operations corresponding to any of the exemplary methods and / or procedures described herein. Other exemplary embodiments include a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions that configure such a network node or UE to perform operations corresponding to any of the exemplary methods and / or procedures described herein when executed by at least one processor.

[0036] These and other objects, features, and advantages of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will become apparent by reading the following detailed description in consideration of the drawings briefly described below.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0037]

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[0038] Here, some of the embodiments contemplated in this specification will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, other embodiments are included within the scope of the subject matter disclosed herein, and the disclosed subject matter should not be construed as limited to only the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided as examples to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art. Further, the following terms are used throughout the description given below. · Wireless node: As used herein, a "wireless node" can be either a "radio access node" or a "wireless device". · Radio access node: As used herein, a "radio access node" (or "radio network node") can be any node within a radio access network (RAN) of a cellular communication network that is operative to transmit and / or receive signals wirelessly. Some examples of radio access nodes include base stations (e.g., a new radio (NR) base station (gNB) in a 3GPP fifth generation (5G) NR network, or an evolved or enhanced node B (eNB) in a 3GPP LTE network), high-power or macro base stations, low-power base stations (e.g., micro base stations, pico base stations, home eNBs, etc.), and relay nodes, but are not limited thereto. · Core network node: As used herein, a "core network node" is any type of node within the core network. Examples of core network nodes include, for example, a mobility management entity (MME), a packet data network gateway (P-GW), a service capability exposure function (SCEF), etc. · Wireless Device: As used herein, a "wireless device" (or "WD" for short) is any type of device that accesses a cellular communication network (i.e., is served by a cellular communication network) by wirelessly communicating with network nodes and / or other wireless devices. Unless otherwise specified, the term "wireless device" is used interchangeably herein with "user equipment" (or "UE" for short). Some examples of wireless devices include, but are not limited to, UEs and machine type communication (MTC) devices within a 3GPP network. Communicating wirelessly can include transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared, and / or other types of signals suitable for transmitting information via air. · Network Node: As used herein, a "network node" is any node that is part of a radio access network or is a core network of a cellular communication network / system. Functionally, a network node is configured, arranged, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with wireless devices and / or other network nodes or devices within a cellular communication network, to enable and / or provide wireless access to wireless devices, and / or to perform other functions (e.g., management) within a cellular communication network.

[0039] The description provided herein focuses on 3GPP cellular communication systems, and thus it should be noted that 3GPP terms or terms similar to 3GPP terms are often used. However, the concepts disclosed herein are not limited to 3GPP systems. Further, although the term "cell" is used herein, (especially with respect to 5G NR) beams can be used in place of cells, and thus it should be understood that the concepts described herein apply equally to both cells and beams.

[0040] As briefly described above, NR minislots provide advantages for unlicensed operations (e.g., NR-U), but also incorporate various issues, problems, and / or drawbacks with respect to the flexibility to allocate or exclude the use of specific UL minislot(s) by the UE. This will be explained in more detail below, after a more detailed description of the NR radio interface.

[0041] Figure 4 shows an exemplary time-frequency resource grid for an NR slot. As shown in Figure 4, a resource block (RB) consists of 12 contiguous, or consecutive, subcarriers in the frequency domain. In this example, the RB spans 14 symbols in the time domain during a period of 14-symbol slots, but in other embodiments, it can span a different number of symbols. Similar to LTE, a resource element (RE) consists of one subcarrier in the frequency domain and one symbol in the time domain. Common RBs (CRBs) are numbered from 0 to the end of the system bandwidth. Each carrier bandwidth part (BWP) configured for the UE has a common reference of CRB 0 so that a particular configured BWP can start with a CRB greater than zero. In this way, the UE can be configured with narrow BWPs (e.g., 12 MHz) and wide BWPs (e.g., 120 MHz), each starting with a particular CRB, but only one BWP can be active for the UE at a given time.

[0042] Within a BWP, RBs are defined and numbered in the frequency domain from 0 to N size BWPi -1, where i is the index of a particular carrier BWP. Similar to LTE, each NR resource element (RE) corresponds to one OFDM subcarrier during one OFDM symbol interval. Various subcarrier spacing (SCS) values (referred to as numerology) are supported in NR, and Δf = (15 × 2 μ)Given in kHz, where μ ∈ (0, 1, 2, 3, 4) indicates a numerology value. Δf = 15 kHz is the basic (or reference) subcarrier spacing also used in LTE. The slot length is inversely proportional to the subcarrier spacing or numerology by 1 / 2 μ ms. For example, there is one (1 - ms) slot per subframe for Δf = 15 kHz (μ = 0), two 0.5 - ms slots per subframe for Δf = 30 kHz (μ = 1), etc. In addition, the RB bandwidth is 2 μ *180 kHz and is directly related to the numerology.

[0043] Table 1 below summarizes the supported NR transmission numerologies μ and related parameters. The DL and UL numerologies of the UE can be configured independently by the network according to UE support. TIFF0007693752000001.tif35138

[0044] As described above, an NR slot can include 14 OFDM symbols with a normal cyclic prefix and 12 OFDM symbols with an extended cyclic prefix. Figure 5A shows an exemplary NR slot configuration including 14 symbols, where the slot and symbol durations are T s and T symb respectively. Also, as described above, the NR PHY permits (enables) mini - slot transmission. A mini - slot can include from one symbol to one less than the number of symbols in a slot and can start from any symbol in the slot. Figure 5B shows an exemplary mini - slot configuration where the mini - slot starts at the 3rd symbol of the slot and has a duration of 2 symbols.

[0045] The NR slots can also be composed of various combinations of UL symbols and DL symbols. FIG. 6, including FIGS. 6A to 6D, shows various exemplary UL-DL arrangements within an NR slot. For example, FIG. 6A shows an example of a DL-only (i.e., no UL transmission) slot where transmission starts at symbol 1, i.e., the "slow start". FIG. 6B shows an exemplary "DL-heavy" slot having one UL symbol. Further, this exemplary slot includes guard periods before and after the UL symbol to facilitate a change in the transmission direction. FIG. 6C shows an exemplary "UL-heavy" slot having a single UL symbol that can carry DL control information (i.e., an initial UL symbol as indicated by different shading styles). FIG. 6D shows an exemplary UL dedicated slot having an on-time start at symbol 0, and the initial UL symbol can also be used to carry DL control information.

[0046] In the case of slot-based transmission, the base station (e.g., gNB) transmits downlink control information (DCI) via the PDCCH, indicating which UEs are scheduled to receive data in that slot and which RBs carry that data. The DCI can include an UL grant indicating which UEs are scheduled to transmit data in that slot and which RBs carry that data. The UE first detects and decodes the uplink grant from the PDCCH, and if successful, transmits the corresponding PUSCH on the resources indicated by the grant. DCI formats 0_0 and 0_1 are used to convey UL grants for transmission on the PUSCH, and DCI formats 1_0 and 1_1 are used to convey DL grants for transmission on the PDSCH. Other DCI formats (2_0, 2_1, 2_2, and 2_3) are used for other purposes including transmission such as slot format information, reserved resources, transmission power control information, etc.

[0047] The DCI contains a payload compensated by a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) of the payload data. Since the DCI is transmitted on the PDCCH received by multiple terminals, it is necessary to include the identifier of the target UE. In NR, this is done by scrambling the CRC with a radio network temporary identifier (RNTI) assigned to the UE. Most commonly, for this purpose, the cell RNTI (C-RNTI) assigned to the target UE by the serving cell is used. The payload is encoded with the identifier-scrambled CRC and transmitted on the PDCCH.

[0048] Each UE attempts to detect a PDCCH having multiple candidates with respect to the payload size and position in the time-frequency grid based on its configured search space. The PDCCH candidates are searched within a common or UE-specific search space mapped to a set of time and frequency resources called a control resource set (CORESET). The search space in which the PDCCH candidates must be monitored is configured for the UE via RRC signaling. The monitoring period is also configured for different PDCCH candidates. In any given slot, the UE may be configured to monitor multiple PDCCH candidates within multiple search spaces that may be mapped to one or more CORESETs. The PDCCH candidates may need to be monitored once per slot, or multiple times per slot if necessary.

[0049] The minimum unit used to define a CORESET is a resource element group (REG) that spans one PRB in frequency and one OFDM in time. Each REG contains a demodulation reference signal (DM-RS) that helps in the estimation of the radio channel over which the REG is transmitted. When transmitting the PDCCH, a precoder can be used to apply weights at the transmitting antenna based on some knowledge of the radio channel before transmission. If the precoders used at the transmitter for the REGs are the same, it is possible to improve the channel estimation performance at the UE by estimating the channel over multiple REGs that are close in time and frequency. To assist the UE in performing channel estimation, multiple REGs can be grouped together to form a REG bundle, and the REG bundle size for the CORESET can be indicated to the UE. The UE can assume that any precoder used for the transmission of the PDCCH is the same for all REGs within the REG bundle. The REG bundle can be composed of two, three, or six REGs.

[0050] A control channel element (CCE) consists of six REGs. The REGs within a CCE may be consecutive or may be dispersed in frequency. When the REGs are dispersed in frequency, the CORESET is said to use an interleaved mapping of the REGs to the CCE, and when the REGs are not dispersed in frequency, a non-interleaved mapping is said to be used. Interleaving can provide frequency diversity. Not using interleaving can be beneficial when knowledge of the channel enables the use of a precoder in a specific part of the spectrum and improves the SINR at the receiver. A PDCCH candidate can span 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 CCEs. When two or more CCEs are used, the information in the first (the 1st) CCE is repeated in the other CCEs. Thus, the number of aggregated CCEs used is called the aggregation level for the PDCCH candidate.

[0051] Using a hash function, the UE can determine the CCEs corresponding to the PDCCH candidates that it must monitor within the search space configuration. Hashing is performed differently for different UEs. In this way, the CCEs used by the UE are randomized, reducing the probability of collisions among multiple UEs having messages included in the CORESET. Once the UE decodes the DCI, it descrambles the CRC using the RNTI assigned to it and / or associated with a particular PDCCH search space. If there is a match, the UE considers the detected DCI addressed to the UE and follows the instructions (e.g., scheduling information) included in the DCI.

[0052] The UE uses the resource allocation field in the detected DCI carried in the PDCCH to determine its RB allocation in the frequency domain for the PUSCH or PDSCH. In the case of the PUSCH carrying msg3 in the random access procedure, the frequency domain resource allocation is signaled by using the UL grant included in the RAR. In NR, two frequency resource allocation methods, type 0 and type 1, are supported for the PUSCH and PDSCH. The type to be used for PUSCH / PDSCH transmission can be defined by the RRC configuration (setting) parameter or directly indicated in the corresponding DCI or UL grant (type 1 is used) within the RAR.

[0053] The RB indexes for the type 0 and type 1 resource allocations for the uplink / downlink are determined within the UE's active carrier BWP. The UE first determines the uplink / downlink carrier BWP (upon detection of the PDCCH directed to the UE) and then determines the resource allocation within the carrier BWP. The UL BWP for the PUSCH carrying msg3 is set by the upper layer parameter.

[0054] NR supports two types of preconfigured resources, both of which are similar to existing LTE semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) with some extensions such as support for transport block (TB) repetitions. For type 1, UL data transmission with a configured grant is based only on RRC (re)configuration without L1 signaling. Type 2 is similar to the LTE SPS function. UL data transmission with a configured grant is based on both RRC configuration and L1 signaling for grant activation / deactivation. In this case, the NR gNB needs to explicitly activate the configured resources on the PDCCH, and the UE uses MAC control elements to confirm the reception of activation / deactivation grants.

[0055] The above-mentioned NR TB repetitions include the same resource configuration used for K repetitions of the TB (where K includes the initial transmission). The possible values of K are {1, 2, 4, 8}. The repetitions follow a redundancy version (RV) sequence set by UE-specific RRC signaling to one of the sequences {0, 2, 3, 1}, {0, 3, 0, 3}, or {0, 0, 0, 0}.

[0056] For both type 1 and type 2 preconfigured resources, the UL period (periodicity) is set by upper layer (RRC) signaling. For example, the following periods (in symbol units) are supported for various configured subcarrier spacings (SCS). TIFF0007693752000002.tif32140

[0057] For type 1 configured grants, the time resources are set via RRC signaling. · timeDomainAllocation: Assignment of the configured uplink grant in the time domain including startSymbolAndLength which includes S as the start symbol and L as the length of the PUSCH (in symbol units). · timeDomainOffset: Offset of the resource for SFN = 0 in the time domain. After the uplink grant is set for the configured grant type 1, the MAC entity shall consider that the Nth sequential uplink grant occurs in the symbol that satisfies the following formula (1). [(SFN × numberOfSlotsPerFrame × numberOfSymbolsPerSlot) + (slot number in the frame × numberOfSymbolsPerSlot) + symbol number in the slot] = (timeDomainOffset × numberOfSymbolsPerSlot + S + N × periodicity) modulo(1024 × numberOfSlotsPerFrame × numberOfSymbolsPerSlot) Here, S is the start symbol specified by timeDomainAllocation.

[0058] Similarly, after the uplink grant is set for the configured permission type 2, the MAC entity shall consider that the Nth sequential uplink grant occurs in the symbol that satisfies the following formula (2). [(SFN × numberOfSlotsPerFrame × numberOfSymbolsPerSlot) + (slot number in the frame × numberOfSymbolsPerSlot) + symbol number in the slot] = [SFN start time × numberOfSlotsPerFrame × numberOfSymbolsPerSlot + slot start time × numberOfSymbolsPerSlot + symbol start time+ N × periodicity] modulo (1024 × numberOfSlotsPerFrame × numberOfSymbolsPerSlot) Here, SFN start time , slot start time , symbol start time are, respectively, the SFN, slot, and symbol of the first transmission of the PUSCH for which the set uplink grant is (re)initialized.

[0059] For example, assuming a 30 kHz subcarrier spacing, to set the UL resources on consecutive slots, the UE must be set with one of the following. · Period = 2 symbols, S = 0, L = 2, · Period = 7 symbols, S = 0, L = 7 · Period = 14 symbols (i.e., 1 slot, n = 1), S = 0, L = 14 Here, S is the start symbol and L is the length (in symbols) of the PUSCH set by timeDomainAllocation.

[0060] The same settings as the above three enable UL transmission on continuous slots without gaps, so they are suitable for unlicensed operation. All three settings allow the UE to transmit the configured UL in all slots, but the number of PUSCH lengths within a slot differs between the settings. However, if the only way to efficiently use the UL configured on an unlicensed channel is by enabling the UE to transmit in all slots, it is very restrictive. It is desirable for the network (e.g., serving gNB) to have some flexibility when allocating or excluding certain slots for the configured UL. Further, the timeDomainAllocation applies to all configured UL slots, which means that even if the UE is configured in a 1-slot period (i.e., 14 or 12 symbols depending on the CP), S and L should be set such that no gap is introduced between consecutive UL slots within the UL burst.

[0061] Accordingly, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure provide techniques for indicating and allocating time resources for a configured UL UE for operation in unlicensed spectrum. For example, by allocating different transmission start symbols, such techniques can reduce contention between intra-configured UL UEs to which the same UL resources are allocated.

[0062] In various embodiments, in connection with both the configured UL grants of the above-described Type 1 and Type 2, applicable UL slots can be configured using an Allowance parameter (e.g., via RRC signaling) in addition to the above-described Periodicity parameter. For example, the Allowance parameter (hereinafter also referred to as "D") can indicate the period of the configured grant within each period identified by the Periodicity parameter that is permitted for UL transmission. As a more specific example (described later), the Allowance parameter can indicate a certain number of consecutive slots (number of slots) in each period identified by the Periodicity parameter.

[0063] Furthermore, the absence of the Allowance parameter in the configuration can be interpreted by the UE as a 1-slot period in each period. When the Allowance parameter is included, the minimum setting of two slots can be indicated up to the maximum setting of floor(Periodicity / numberOfSymbolsPerSlot)-1, where Periodicity is given in symbols. As described above, numberOfSymbolsPerSlot can be 14 and 12 for normal CP and extended CP, respectively.

[0064] In an embodiment, after the Type 2 uplink grant is configured in the above-described manner, the MAC entity can consider that the (D + N×d)-th sequential uplink grant (where d = 0, 1,... D-2) occurs in a symbol that satisfies the following equation (3). [(SFN × numberOfSlotsPerFrame × numberOfSymbolsPerSlot) + (slot number in the frame × numberOfSymbolsPerSlot) + symbol number in the slot] = [SFN start time × numberOfSlotsPerFrame × numberOfSymbolsPerSlot + (d + slot start time ) × numberOfSymbolsPerSlot + symbol start time + N × periodicity] modulo(1024 × numberOfSlotsPerFrame × numberOfSymbolsPerSlot) Here, additionally, SFN start time , slot start time , symbol start time are, respectively, the SFN, slot, and symbol of the first transmission of the PUSCH for which the configured uplink grant is (re)initialized.

[0065] As an example, for 30 kHz SCS, the network can set Periodicity = 280 symbols (or 20 slots corresponding to n = 20) and Allowance = 15. For a type 1 configured grant with timeDomainOffset = 5, a UE configured in this way can perform UL transmissions (without dynamic grants) in slots 5, 6,..., 19 within each 20 - slot period. Similarly, for a type 2 configured grant, after receiving the configured UL grant indicating start slot 5, a UE configured in this way is permitted to perform UL transmissions (without dynamic grants) in slots 5, 6,..., 19 within each 20 - slot period. In this way, the network can protect slots 0 to 4 within each periodic 20 - slot period from channel access by UEs having the configured UL grant. Figure 7 shows a timing diagram showing a configured UL grant having Periodicity = 280 symbols (or 20 slots), timeDomainOffset = 5, Allowance = 15, S = 0, and L = 7.

[0066] In some embodiments, the above formula (3) may be applied with respect to a pre - defined slot (or TTI) number (e.g., SFN 0) rather than the time when the set UL grant is (re)initialized. In other words, Periodicity, timeDomainOffset, etc. can be specified with respect to a pre - defined slot number.

[0067] In other embodiments, instead of configuring the UE with an Allowance indicating the period of the set grant (e.g., a certain number of consecutive slots) in all periods, the UE can instead be configured with an AllowancePattern (permission pattern) indicating specific permitted slot(s) within each period given by Periodicity (e.g., via DCI or RRC signaling). Considering the above example of 20 - slot (280 - symbol) Periodicity, a bitmap with 1 bit corresponding to each of the 20 slots can be used to indicate permission (or prohibition) of UL transmission in each slot. In this way, the network can enable UL transmission in consecutive and / or non - consecutive slots. FIG. 8 shows a timing diagram showing a set UL grant with Periodicity = 280 symbols (or 20 slots), S = 0, L = 7, and an AllowancePattern bitmap.

[0068] In some embodiments, the UE can also be configured using additional information indicating specific symbol(s) within the permitted slot(s) (which can then be indicated in any of the ways described above). For example, the UE can be configured with the start symbol of the first slot within the set UL burst and / or the end symbol of the last slot within the set UL burst (or the length of the last slot within the set UL burst).

[0069] In some embodiments, instead of providing a configuration that includes a timeDomainAllocation indicating the start symbol (S) and length (L, symbols) of the PUSCH in a configured UL burst, the network can instead provide a configuration that includes a parameter (which can be called timeDomainAllocation or given a different name) indicating the start symbol (S) of the first slot in the configured UL burst and the length (L) of the last slot in the configured UL burst (i.e., the number of symbols available at the start of the last slot). The first and last (allowed) slots can be indicated according to any of the above-described embodiments, such as an Allowance value (as shown in FIG. 7) or an AllowancePattern (as shown in FIG. 8).

[0070] In some embodiments, the UE can also be configured using a mini-slot period indicating the period of the PUSCH start position within an allowed slot. For example, if the mini-slot period is set to 2, the UE can transmit consecutive PUSCHs of two-symbol length in the slots allowed for the configured UL.

[0071] In other embodiments, the UE can also be configured using a mini-slot pattern indicating a specific pattern allowed for PUSCH transmission within a slot configured to be allowed. For example, the pattern can be set by indicating the minimum and / or maximum number of mini-slots / symbols that can be used to transmit a transport block (TB) associated with a specific HARQ process. FIG. 9 shows an exemplary PUSCH pattern configuration within an allotted slot (intra-slot) as indicated by a configured UL grant according to these embodiments. For example, the in-slot configuration shown in FIG. 9 can be used in conjunction with other embodiments indicating the allowed slots within a period, such as an Allowance value (as shown in FIG. 7) or an AllowancePattern (as shown in FIG. 8).

[0072] In other embodiments, the UE may also be configured using a PUSCH start position bitmap indicating the symbols (within the configured grant slot) where the configured UL PUSCH may start. The length of the PUSCH does not necessarily have to be configured, but the UE receiving the PUSCH start position bitmap can infer the PUSCH length in various ways as follows. · From the indicated start position to the end of the granted slot, or · If multiple start positions are indicated in the bitmap (e.g., when 0s are interspersed among multiple 1s), each length can be interpreted as extending to the next indicated start position. For example, if the bitmap is set to 10010000100000, the PUSCH transmission starts from the 4th symbol of a 5-symbol length, and another PUSCH transmission starts from the 9th symbol of a 6-symbol length.

[0073] The above-described embodiments of the in-slot (or mini-slot) configuration have been described as being applicable to all slots configured to be permitted for UL transmission. Alternatively, these embodiments may be applicable only to the first (first) granted slot. For example, subsequent slots within the same UL burst can be transmitted using slot-based scheduling. As another example, the configuration may be applicable only to a specific traffic class or traffic type, e.g., a QCI mapped to a channel access priority class exceeding a specific threshold.

[0074] Figure 10 shows a flowchart of an exemplary method and / or procedure for transmitting information on an uplink (UL) shared channel within a cell of a radio access network (RAN). The exemplary method and / or procedure can be executed by a user equipment (e.g., UE, wireless device, IoT device, modem, etc., or components thereof) that communicates with a network node (e.g., base station, eNB, gNB, etc., or components thereof) configured to provide service to a cell in the RAN. Further, the exemplary method and / or procedure shown in Figure 10 can be utilized in cooperation with other exemplary methods and / or procedures (e.g., Figure 11) described herein to provide various exemplary advantages described herein. Figure 10 shows blocks in a particular order, but this order is merely exemplary and the operations of the exemplary method and / or procedure can be executed in an order different from the shown order, combined with and / or split into blocks having different functions than those shown. Optional blocks or operations are indicated by dashed lines.

[0075] The exemplary method and / or procedure shown in Figure 10 can include the operation of block 1010, where the UE can receive a configuration of resources for transmitting information on the UL shared channel from a network node that provides service to the cell. In some embodiments, the UL shared channel can be a PUSCH. For example, the UE can receive the configuration via DCI on the PDCCH or RRC signaling on the PDSCH. The configuration can indicate a specific plurality of time slots in which transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted, and can include a periodic parameter indicating a plurality of consecutive time slots. The configuration can also include a permission parameter indicating a number of time slots (number of time slots) within the plurality of consecutive time slots in which transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted. In some examples, the permission parameter indicates a specific plurality of time slots in which transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted, for example, when the permission parameter is in the form of the AllowancePattern described above.

[0076] Exemplary methods and / or procedures can also include the operation of block 1020, where the UE can transmit information on the UL shared channel during at least one of a particular plurality of time slots indicated by the received configuration (e.g., at block 1010).

[0077] In some embodiments, the grant parameter can indicate a certain number of consecutive time slots within a plurality of consecutive time slots. An example of this type of grant parameter is the "Allowance" described above. In some of these embodiments, the configuration can further identify a start time slot within the plurality of consecutive time slots such that the particular plurality of time slots can include a certain number of time slots starting from the start time slot.

[0078] In other embodiments, the grant parameter can include a first bitmap that includes a first plurality of bits. In such embodiments, each bit within the first bitmap can indicate whether transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted during a particular one of the consecutive time slots. For example, a value of "1" can indicate that transmission is permitted, and a value of "0" can indicate that transmission is not permitted. An example of this type of grant parameter is the "AllowancePattern" described above.

[0079] As described above with respect to the various figures, each time slot can include a plurality of symbols (e.g., 14 or 12). In some embodiments, the configuration can further identify a particular plurality of symbols among the plurality, during which transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted within the particular plurality of time slots indicated by the configuration.

[0080] In some of these embodiments, the identification of a particular plurality of symbols can include identifying a start symbol and a number of consecutive symbols. In such embodiments, the start symbol and the number of consecutive symbols are applicable to each of a particular plurality of time slots indicated by the configuration (e.g., to the indicated symbols that are acceptable for transmission by the UE).

[0081] In other embodiments among these embodiments, a particular plurality of time slots can include a start time slot and an end time slot. In such embodiments, the identification of a particular plurality of symbols can include identifying a start symbol associated with the start time slot and an end symbol associated with the end time slot.

[0082] In some embodiments, the configuration can also include information identifying one or more instances of the UL shared channel within each of a particular plurality of time slots in which transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted. In some of these embodiments, the configuration can include the period of the UL shared channel within each of a particular plurality of time slots in which transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted. For example, the configuration can indicate a mini-slot period indicating the period of the PUSCH start position within the permitted time slot, as described above.

[0083] In other embodiments among these embodiments, the configuration can indicate the start position of each of a plurality of UL shared channel instances within at least a portion of a specific plurality of time slots in which transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted. For example, the configuration can indicate each start position by a second bitmap including a second plurality of bits. The second plurality of bits can be associated with each symbol within each of the specific plurality of time slots in which transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted. As a more specific example, a bitmap value of "1" can indicate a UL shared channel symbol that begins with a length that is interpreted as extending (elongating) up to the start symbol shown next, as described above.

[0084] In some embodiments, the configuration can also indicate whether it is applicable to all of the specific plurality of time slots or only to a subset of the specific plurality of time slots (e.g., only the initial time slots). In some embodiments, the configuration can also indicate to which traffic class it is applicable.

[0085] FIG. 11 shows a flowchart of an exemplary method and / or procedure for scheduling transmission by a user equipment (UE) of information on an uplink (UL) shared channel within a cell of a radio access network (RAN). The exemplary method and / or procedure may be performed by a network node (e.g., a base station, eNB, gNB, etc., or components thereof) configured to communicate with a user equipment (e.g., a UE, a wireless device, an IoT device, etc., or components thereof) to provide services to the cell. Further, the exemplary method and / or procedure shown in FIG. 11 may be utilized in cooperation with other exemplary methods and / or procedures described herein (e.g., FIG. 10) to provide the various exemplary advantages described herein. FIG. 11 shows the blocks in a particular order, but this order is merely exemplary, and the operations of the exemplary method and / or procedure may be performed in a different order than shown, combined with and / or divided into blocks having different functions than shown. Optional blocks or operations are indicated by dashed lines.

[0086] The exemplary method and / or procedure shown in FIG. 11 may include the operation of block 1110, where the network node may transmit to a UE operating within the cell a configuration of resources for transmitting information on the UL shared channel. In some embodiments, the UL shared channel may be a PUSCH. For example, the network node may transmit the configuration via DCI on the PDCCH or via RRC signaling on the PDSCH. The configuration may indicate a particular plurality of time slots in which transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted and may include a periodic parameter indicating a plurality of consecutive time slots. The configuration may also include a permission parameter indicating a number of time slots within the plurality of consecutive time slots in which transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted. In some examples, the permission parameter may indicate, for example, a particular plurality of time slots in which transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted when the permission parameter is the formation of the AllowancePattern described above.

[0087] Exemplary methods and / or procedures may also include the operation of block 1120, where the network node can receive information on the UL shared channel from the UE during at least one of a specific plurality of time slots indicated by the transmitted configuration.

[0088] In some embodiments, the permission parameter can indicate a number of consecutive time slots within a plurality of consecutive time slots. An example of this type of permission parameter is the "Allowance" described above. In some of these embodiments, the configuration can further identify a start time slot within the plurality of consecutive time slots such that the specific plurality of time slots can include a number of time slots starting from the start time slot.

[0089] In other embodiments, the permission parameter can include a first bitmap that includes a first plurality of bits. In such embodiments, each bit in the first bitmap can indicate whether transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted during a specific one of the consecutive time slots. For example, a value of "1" can indicate that transmission is permitted, and a value of "0" can indicate that transmission is not permitted. An example of this type of permission parameter is the "AllowancePattern" described above.

[0090] As described above with respect to the various figures, each time slot can include a plurality of symbols (e.g., 14 or 12). In some embodiments, the configuration can further identify a specific plurality of symbols among the plurality, during which transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted within the specific plurality of time slots indicated by the configuration.

[0091] In some of these embodiments, the identification of a particular plurality of symbols can include a start symbol and a number of consecutive symbols. In such embodiments, the start symbol and the number of consecutive symbols are applicable to each of the particular time slots indicated by the configuration (e.g., to the indicated symbols that are acceptable for transmission by the UE).

[0092] In other embodiments of these embodiments, a particular plurality of time slots can include a start time slot and an end time slot. In such embodiments, the identification of a particular plurality of symbols can include a start symbol associated with the start time slot and an end symbol associated with the end time slot.

[0093] In some embodiments, the configuration can also include information identifying one or more instances of the UL shared channel within each of the particular plurality of time slots in which transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted. In some of these embodiments, the configuration can include the period of the UL shared channel within each of the particular plurality of time slots in which transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted. For example, the configuration can indicate a minislot period indicating the period of the PUSCH start position within the permitted time slot, as described above.

[0094] In other embodiments of these embodiments, the configuration can indicate the start position of each of the plurality of UL shared channel instances within at least a portion of the particular plurality of time slots in which transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted. For example, the configuration can indicate the start position by means of a second bitmap including a second plurality of bits. The second plurality of bits can be associated with each symbol within each of the particular plurality of time slots in which transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted. As a more specific example, a bitmap value of "1" can indicate a UL shared channel symbol starting with a length that is interpreted as extending (elongating) to the next indicated start symbol, as described above.

[0095] In some embodiments, the configuration can also indicate whether it is applicable to all of a particular plurality of time slots or only to a subset of a particular plurality of time slots (e.g., only the initial time slots). In some embodiments, the configuration can also indicate to which traffic class it is applicable.

[0096] Although various embodiments have been described above with respect to methods, apparatuses, devices, computer-readable media, and receivers, those skilled in the art will readily understand that such methods can be implemented by various combinations of hardware and software in various systems, communication devices, computing devices, control devices, apparatuses, non-transitory computer-readable media, and the like.

[0097] FIG. 12 shows a high-level diagram of a 5G network architecture consisting of a next-generation RAN (NG-RAN) 1299 and a 5G core (5GC) 1298. The NG-RAN 1299 can include a set of gNBs connected to the 5GC via one or more NG interfaces such as gNBs 1200, 1250 connected via interfaces 1202, 1252 respectively. Further, the gNBs can be connected to each other via one or more Xn interfaces such as the Xn interface 1240 between gNBs 1200 and 1250.

[0098] NG-RAN is hierarchically divided into a Radio Network Layer (RNL) and a Transport Network Layer (TNL). The NG-RAN architecture, i.e., the NG-RAN logical nodes and the interfaces between them, is defined as part of the RNL. For each NG-RAN interface (NG, Xn, F1), the associated TNL protocols and functions are specified. The TNL provides services for user plane transport and signaling transport. In some exemplary configurations, each gNB can be connected to all 5GC nodes within the "AMF Region" defined in 3GPP TS 23.501. When security protection of CP and UP data on the TNL of the NG-RAN interface is supported, NDS / IP (3GPP TS 33.401) can be applied.

[0099] The NG-RAN logical nodes shown in Figure 12 (and described in 3GPP TS 38.401 and 3GPP TR 38.801) include a central (or centralized) unit (CU or gNB-CU) and one or more distributed (or decentralized) units (DU or gNB-DU). For example, gNB1200 includes gNB-CU1210, gNB-DU1220, and 1230. The CU (e.g., gNB-CU1210) is a logical node that hosts upper layer protocols and performs various gNB functions such as controlling the operation of the DUs. Similarly, each DU is a logical node that hosts lower layer protocols and can include various subsets of gNB functions depending on the function split. Thus, each of the CU and DU can include various circuits required to perform their respective functions, including a processing circuit, a transceiver circuit (e.g., for communication), and a power circuit. Further, the terms "central unit" and "centralized unit" are used interchangeably here, as are the terms "distributed unit" and "decentralized unit".

[0100] The gNB-CU is connected to the gNB-DU via respective F1 logical interfaces such as interface 1222 and 232 shown in FIG. 3. The gNB-CU and the connected gNB-DU appear only as a gNB to other gNBs and the 5GC 1298. In other words, the F1 interface is not visible beyond the gNB-CU.

[0101] FIG. 13 shows a high-level diagram of an exemplary 5G network architecture including a next-generation radio access network (NG-RAN) 1399 and a 5G core (5GC) 1398. As shown in the figure, the NG-RAN 1399 can include gNBs 1310 (e.g., 1310a, b) and ng-eNBs 1320 (e.g., 1320a, b) interconnected via respective Xn interfaces. The gNBs and ng-eNBs are also connected to the 5GC 1398 via the NG interface, more specifically, to the AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) 1330 (e.g., AMF 1330a, b) via respective NG-C interfaces, and to the UPF (User Plane Function) 1340 (e.g., UPF 1340a, b) via respective NG-U interfaces.

[0102] Each gNB 1310 can support an NR radio interface including frequency division duplexing (FDD), time division duplexing (TDD), or a combination thereof. In contrast, each of the ng-eNBs 1320 supports an LTE radio interface but is connected to the 5GC via the NG interface, unlike a conventional LTE gNB.

[0103] FIG. 14 shows a block diagram of an exemplary wireless device or user equipment (UE) configurable according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, including corresponding to or comprising any of the exemplary methods and / or procedures described above, or by execution of instructions on a computer-readable medium.

[0104] Exemplary device 1400 can include a processor 1410 operably connected to program memory 1420 and / or data memory 1430 via a bus 1470 that can include a parallel address and data bus, a serial port, or other methods and / or structures known to those skilled in the art. Program memory 1420 can store software code, programs, and / or instructions (collectively shown as computer program product 1421 in FIG. 14) that can be executed by processor 1410 and that can configure and / or facilitate device 1400 to perform various operations including those described below. For example, execution of such instructions can configure and / or facilitate exemplary device 1400 to communicate using one or more wired or wireless communication protocols, including, for example, one or more wireless communication protocols standardized by 3GPP, 3GPP2, or IEEE, such as those commonly known as 5G / NR, LTE, LTE-A, UMTS, HSPA, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, 1xRTT, CDMA2000, 802.11 WiFi, HDMI, USB, Firewire, or any other current or future protocol that can be used with transceiver 1440, user interface 1450, and / or host interface 1460.

[0105] As another example, processor 1410 can execute program code stored in program memory 1420 corresponding to MAC, RLC, PDCP, and RRC layer protocols standardized by 3GPP (e.g., for NR and / or LTE). As a further example, processor 1410, in conjunction with transceiver 1440, can execute program code stored in program memory 1420 implementing corresponding PHY layer protocols such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), and single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA).

[0106] The program memory 1420 can also include software code that is executed by the processor 1410 and controls the functions of the device 1400, including the configuration and control of various components such as the transceiver 1440, the user interface 1450, and / or the host interface 1460. The program memory 1420 can also include one or more application programs and / or modules comprising computer-executable instructions for implementing any of the exemplary methods and / or procedures described herein. Such software code can be specified or described using any known or future-developed programming language, such as Java, C++, C, Objective C, HTML, XHTML, machine code, and assembler, as long as the desired functionality defined by the implemented method steps is preserved. Further, or alternatively, the program memory 1420 can comprise an external storage device (not shown) remote from the device 1400, from which instructions can be downloaded to the program memory 1420 disposed within or removably coupled to the device 1400 to enable execution of such instructions.

[0107] The data memory 1430 can comprise a memory area for storing variables used in the protocol, configuration, control, and other functions of the device 1400, where the processor 1410 includes operations corresponding to or comprising any of the exemplary methods and / or procedures described herein. Further, the program memory 1420 and / or the data memory 1430 can comprise non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory), volatile memory (e.g., static or dynamic RAM), or a combination thereof. Further, the data memory 1430 can include a memory slot for inserting and removing removable memory cards of one or more formats (e.g., SD card, memory stick, compact flash, etc.). One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the processor 1410 can comprise multiple individual processors (including, e.g., a multi-core processor), each implementing a portion of the functions described above. In such cases, the multiple individual processors can be generally connected to the program memory 1420 and the data memory 1430, or can be individually connected to multiple individual program memories and data memories or data memories. More generally, one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the various protocols and other functions of the device 1400 can be implemented in many different computer configurations comprising different combinations of hardware and software, including but not limited to application processors, signal processors, general-purpose processors, multi-core processors, ASICs, fixed and / or programmable digital circuits, analog baseband circuits, radio frequency circuits, software, firmware, and middleware.

[0108] Transceiver 1440 can include radio frequency transmitter and / or receiver circuitry that facilitates communication of device 1400 with other devices that support wireless communication standards and / or protocols, etc. In some exemplary embodiments, transceiver 1440 includes a transmitter and a receiver that enable device 1400 to communicate with various 5G / NR networks according to various protocols and / or methods proposed for standardization by 3GPP and / or other standardization bodies. For example, such functionality can operate in cooperation with processor 1410 to implement a PHY layer based on OFDM, OFDMA, and / or SC-FDMA techniques, as described herein with respect to other figures.

[0109] In some exemplary embodiments, transceiver 1440 can include an LTE transmitter and a receiver that enable device 1400 to communicate with various LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), and / or NR networks according to the standards promulgated by 3GPP. In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, transceiver 1440 includes the circuitry, firmware, etc. necessary for device 1400 to communicate with various 5G / NR, LTE, LTE-A, UMTS, and / or GSM / EDGE networks, also according to 3GPP standards. In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, transceiver 1440 includes the circuitry, firmware, etc. necessary for device 1400 to communicate with various CDMA2000 networks according to 3GPP2 standards.

[0110] In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the transceiver 1440 can communicate using a wireless technology that operates in an unlicensed frequency band, such as IEEE 802.11 WiFi, which operates using frequencies in the 2.4 GHz, 5.6 GHz, and / or 60 GHz regions. In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the transceiver 1440 can comprise a transceiver capable of wired communication, such as by using IEEE 802.3 Ethernet (registered trademark) technology. The functionality specific to each of these embodiments can be coupled to, or otherwise controlled by, other circuitry within the device 1400, such as a processor 1410 that executes program code stored in the program memory 1420 that is supported in conjunction with, or by, the data memory 1430.

[0111] The user interface 1450 can take various forms depending on the particular embodiment of the device 1400, or may not be present in the device 1400 at all. In some exemplary embodiments, the user interface 1450 can include a microphone, a speaker, a slidable button, a pushable button, a display, a touch screen display, a mechanical or virtual keypad, a mechanical or virtual keyboard, and / or any other user interface function commonly found in a mobile phone. In other embodiments, the device 1400 can comprise a tablet computing device including a larger touch screen display. In such embodiments, one or more of the mechanical features of the user interface 1450 can be replaced by equivalent or functionally equivalent virtual user interface functions (e.g., virtual keypad, virtual buttons, etc.) implemented using the touch screen display, as would be well known to those skilled in the art. In other embodiments, the device 1400 can be a digital computing device such as a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a workstation, etc., having a mechanical keyboard that can be integrated, removed, or made removable depending on the particular exemplary embodiment. Such digital computing devices can also comprise a touch screen display. Many exemplary embodiments of the device 1400 having a touch screen display can receive user input such as inputs related to the exemplary methods and / or procedures described herein or known to those skilled in the art.

[0112] In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, device 1400 can include an orientation sensor that can be used in various ways depending on the features and functions of device 1400. For example, device 1400 can use the output of the orientation sensor to determine when a user changes the physical orientation of the touch screen display of device 1400. The indication signal from the orientation sensor can be available to any application program running on device 1400, such that the application program can automatically change the orientation of the screen display (e.g., from portrait to landscape) when the indication signal indicates an approximate 90-degree change in the physical orientation of the device. In this exemplary manner, the application program can maintain the screen display in a manner readable by the user regardless of the physical orientation of the device. Further, the output of the orientation sensor can be used in conjunction with various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0113] The control interface 1460 of device 1400 can take various forms depending on the particular exemplary embodiment of device 1400 and the particular interface requirements of other devices that device 1400 is intended to communicate with and / or control. For example, control interface 1460 can include an RS-232 interface, an RS-485 interface, a USB interface, an HDMI interface, a Bluetooth interface, an IEEE (“Firewire”) interface, an I 2 C interface, a PCMCIA interface, etc. In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, control interface 1460 can include an IEEE 802.3 Ethernet (registered trademark) interface as described above. In some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, control interface 1460 can include an analog interface circuit including, for example, one or more digital-to-analog (D / A) and / or analog-to-digital (A / D) converters.

[0114] One skilled in the art can recognize that the above lists of features, interfaces, and radio frequency communication standards are merely exemplary and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. In other words, device 1400 can have more functions than those shown in FIG. 14, including, for example, a video and / or still image camera, a microphone, a media player and / or recorder, etc. Further, transceiver 1440 can include circuitry necessary to communicate using additional radio frequency communication standards, including Bluetooth, GPS, and / or others. Further, processor 1410 can execute software code stored in program memory 1420 to control such additional functions. For example, the directional speed and / or position estimates output from a GPS receiver can be available to any application program executed on device 1400, including various exemplary methods and / or computer-readable media according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0115] FIG. 15 shows a block diagram of an exemplary network node 1500 that can be configured according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, including those described above with reference to other figures. In some exemplary embodiments, network node 1500 can comprise a base station, eNB, gNB, or components thereof. Network node 1500 comprises a processor 1510 operably connected to program memory 1520 and data memory 1530 via a bus 1570 that can comprise parallel address and data buses, serial ports, or other methods and / or structures known to one skilled in the art.

[0116] The program memory 1520 can store software code, programs, and / or instructions (collectively shown as computer program product 1521 in FIG. 15) that are executed by the processor 1510 configured and / or enabled to cause the network node 1500 to perform various operations including the operations described below. For example, execution of such stored instructions can configure the network node 1500 to communicate with one or more other devices using protocols according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, including one or more of the exemplary methods and / or procedures discussed above. Further, execution of such stored instructions can also configure and / or enable the network node 1500 to communicate with one or more other devices using other protocols or protocol layers, such as one or more of the PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, and RRC layer protocols standardized by 3GPP for LTE, LTE-A, and / or NR, or any other upper layer protocol utilized in connection with the radio network interface 1540 and the core network interface 1550. By way of non-limiting example, the core network interface 1550 can comprise an S1 interface, as standardized by 3GPP, and the radio network interface 1540 can comprise a Uu interface. The program memory 1520 can also include software code executed by the processor 1510 to control the functionality of the network node 1500, including the configuration and control of various components such as the radio network interface 1540 and the core network interface 1550.

[0117] The data memory 1530 can include a memory area for the processor 1510 to store variables used in the protocol, configuration, control, and other functions of the network node 1500. Thus, the program memory 1520 and the data memory 1530 can comprise non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory, hard disk, etc.), volatile memory (e.g., static RAM or dynamic RAM), network-based (e.g., "cloud") storage, or combinations thereof. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the processor 1510 can comprise multiple individual processors (not shown), each implementing a portion of the functions described above. In such a case, the multiple individual processors may be generally connected to the program memory 1520 and the data memory 1530, or may be individually connected to multiple individual program memories and / or data memories. More generally, those skilled in the art will recognize that the various protocols and other functions of the network node 1500 can be implemented in many different combinations of hardware and software, including, but not limited to, application processors, signal processors, general-purpose processors, multi-core processors, ASICs, fixed digital circuits, programmable digital circuits, analog-based band circuits, radio frequency circuits, software, firmware, and middleware.

[0118] The wireless network interface 1540 can include a transmitter, a receiver, a signal processor, an ASIC, an antenna, a beamforming unit, and in some embodiments, other circuitry that enables the network node 1500 to communicate with other devices such as a plurality of compatible user equipment (UE). In some exemplary embodiments, the wireless network interface can include various protocols or protocol layers such as PHY, MAC, RLC, PDCP, and RRC layer protocols standardized by 3GPP for LTE, LTE-A, and / or 5G / NR, improvements thereto as described hereinabove, or any other higher layer protocol utilized in conjunction with the wireless network interface 1540. According to further exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the wireless network interface 1540 can include a PHY layer based on OFDM, OFDMA, and / or SC-FDMA technologies. In one embodiment, such PHY layer functionality can be provided cooperatively by the wireless network interface 1540 and the processor 1510 (including program code in the memory 1520).

[0119] The core network interface 1550 can comprise a transmitter, a receiver, and other circuitry that enables the network node 1500 to communicate with other devices within a core network, such as a circuit switched (CS) and / or packet switched core (PS) network in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the core network interface 1550 can comprise an S1 interface standardized by 3GPP. In some exemplary embodiments, the core network interface 1550 can comprise one or more interfaces to one or more SGWs, MMEs, SGSNs, GGSNs, and other physical devices having functionality found in GERAN, UTRAN, E-UTRAN, and CDMA2000 core networks known to those of skill in the art. In some embodiments, these one or more interfaces can be multiplexed together on a single physical interface. In some embodiments, the lower layer of the core network interface 1550 can comprise one or more of asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), Internet Protocol (IP) over Ethernet®, SDH over optical fiber, T1 / E1 / PDH over copper wire, microwave radio, or other wired or wireless transmission technologies known to those of skill in the art.

[0120] The OA&M interface 1560 can include a transmitter, a receiver, and other circuitry that enables the network node 1500 to communicate with an external network, computer, database, etc. for the operation, management, and maintenance of the network node 1500 or other network devices operably connected thereto. The lower layer of the OA&M interface 1560 can include one or more of asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), Internet Protocol (IP)-over-Ethernet (registered trademark), SDH over optical fiber, T1 / E1 / PDH over copper wire, microwave radio, or other wired or wireless transmission technologies known to those skilled in the art. Further, in some embodiments, one or more of the wireless network interface 1540, the core network interface 1550, and the OA&M interface 1560 can be multiplexed together on a single physical interface such as the examples listed above.

[0121] FIG. 16 is a block diagram of an exemplary communication network configured to provide an over-the-top (OTT) data service between a host computer and a user equipment (UE) according to one or more exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. The UE 1610 can communicate with a radio access network (RAN) 1630 via a radio interface 1620 that can be based on the above-described protocols including, for example, LTE, LTE-A, and 5G / NR. For example, the UE 1610 can be configured and / or arranged as shown in the other figures above. The RAN 1630 can include one or more network nodes (e.g., base stations, eNBs, gNBs, controllers, etc.) operable in an authorized spectrum band, as well as one or more network nodes operable in an unlicensed spectrum such as the 2.4 GHz band and / or the 5 GHz band (e.g., using Licensed-Assisted Access (LAA) or Non-Rasterized (NR-U) technology). In such a case, the network nodes comprising the RAN 1630 can operate in cooperation using licensed and unlicensed spectrum.

[0122] RAN 1630 can further communicate with the core network 1640 according to the various protocols and interfaces described above. For example, one or more devices (e.g., base stations, eNBs, gNBs, etc.) equipped with RAN 1630 can communicate with the core network 1640 via the above-described core network interface 1650. In some exemplary embodiments, RAN 1630 and the core network 1640 can be configured and / or arranged as shown in the other figures discussed above. For example, an eNB equipped with E-UTRAN 1630 can communicate with the EPC core network 1640 via an S1 interface as shown in FIG. 1. As another example, a gNB equipped with NR RAN 1630 can communicate with the 5GC core network 1630 via an NG interface as shown in FIGS. 12-13.

[0123] The core network 1640 can further communicate with an external packet data network shown as the Internet 1650 in FIG. 16 according to various protocols and interfaces known to those skilled in the art. Many other devices and / or networks can also be connected to and communicate through the Internet 1650, such as the exemplary host computer 1660. In some exemplary embodiments, the host computer 1660 can use the Internet 1650, the core network 1640, and the RAN 1630 as a medium to communicate with the UE 1610. The host computer 1660 can be a server (e.g., an application server) under the ownership and / or management of a service provider. The host computer 1660 can be operated by an OTT service provider or by another entity on behalf of the service provider.

[0124] For example, the host computer 1660 can provide the UE 1610 with over-the-top (OTT) packet data services that are unaware of the routing of outgoing / incoming communications between the host computer 1660 using the facilities of the core network 1640 and the RAN 1630. Similarly, the host computer 1660 is unaware of the routing of transmissions from the host computer to the UE, such as via the RAN 1630. For example, various OTT services can be provided using the exemplary configurations shown in FIG. 16, including streaming (unidirectional) audio and / or video from the host computer to the UE, interactive (bidirectional) audio and / or video between the host computer and the UE, interactive messaging or social communication, and interactive virtual or augmented reality.

[0125] The exemplary network shown in FIG. 16 can also include measurement procedures and / or sensors that monitor network performance metrics, including data rate, latency (waiting time), and other factors, that are improved by the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein. The exemplary network can also include functionality for reconfiguring the link between endpoints (e.g., host computers and UEs) in response to variations in the measurement results. Such procedures and functionality are known and practiced, and when the network hides or abstracts the radio interface from the OTT service provider, the measurements can be facilitated by the unique signals between the UE and the host computer.

[0126] The exemplary embodiments described herein provide efficient techniques for RAN1630 operation in unlicensed spectrum to indicate, allocate, and / or configure time resources for a UE, such as UE1610, to transmit on an unlicensed spectrum on the UL shared channel. For example, by allocating different transmission start symbols within a time slot, such techniques can reduce UL contention among UEs that are allocated the same UL time slot resources. When used in an NR UE (e.g., UE1610) and a gNB (e.g., a gNB comprising RAN1630), the exemplary embodiments described herein can provide various improvements, benefits, and / or advantages that facilitate the use of unlicensed spectrum in addition to licensed spectrum. Using additional spectrum resources to provide services can improve the performance of these services, as experienced by OTT service providers and end users, and include more consistent data and less latency throughout, without excessive UE power consumption or other reductions in the user experience.

[0127] As described herein, a device and / or apparatus can be represented by a semiconductor chip, a chipset, or a (hardware) module comprising such a chip or chipset, but this does not preclude the possibility that, instead of being implemented in hardware, the functionality of the device or apparatus is implemented as a software module, such as a computer program or a computer program product comprising executable software code portions for execution or to be executed on a processor. Further, the functionality of the device or apparatus can be implemented by any combination of hardware and software. The device or apparatus can also be regarded as an assembly of a plurality of devices and / or apparatuses, whether or not they cooperate functionally with each other or are independent of each other. Further, the device and apparatus can be implemented in a distributed form across the entire system, as long as the functionality of the device and apparatus is preserved. Such principles and similar principles are believed to be known to those skilled in the art.

[0128] The foregoing merely illustrates the principles of the present disclosure. Various modifications and changes to the described embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein. Accordingly, it will be understood that those skilled in the art can devise numerous systems, arrangements, and procedures that, although not explicitly shown or described herein, embody the principles of the present disclosure and thus can be within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, various different exemplary embodiments can be used together with each other and can be used interchangeably with each other.

[0129] Furthermore, certain terms used in this disclosure, including this specification, the drawings, and their exemplary embodiments, may be used synonymously in certain instances, for example, including but not limited to data and information. These words and / or other words that may be synonymous with each other may be used synonymously herein, but it should be understood that there may be cases where such words are not intended to be used synonymously. Furthermore, unless the knowledge of the prior art is explicitly incorporated by the above criteria, the whole of it is explicitly incorporated herein. All publications referred to are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0130] Exemplary embodiments of the techniques and apparatuses described herein include, but are not limited to, the embodiments listed below.

[0131] 1. A method for transmitting information on an uplink (UL) shared channel within a cell of a radio access network (RAN), comprising: receiving, from a network node providing services to the cell, a setting of a plurality of periodic periods available for transmitting information on the UL shared channel, the setting including: a period value indicating a number of consecutive time slots of a certain integer associated with each period; and a permission value indicating a specific plurality of time slots within each period during which transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted, and transmitting information on the UL shared channel during at least one of the set plurality of periodic periods.

[0132] 2. The method of embodiment 1, wherein the setting further identifies a start time slot within each period, and the permission value indicates a number of time slots such that the specific plurality of time slots start with the start time slot.

[0133] 3. The method of embodiment 1, wherein the permission value includes a first bitmap including a first plurality of bits, Each of the first plurality of bits is associated with a specific time slot within each period.

[0134] 4. The method according to Embodiments 1 to 3, wherein each time slot includes a plurality of symbols, and the setting further identifies the plurality of specific symbols within each permitted time slot in which transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted.

[0135] 5. The method according to Embodiment 4, wherein the identification of the plurality of specific symbols includes a start symbol and a number of consecutive symbols.

[0136] 6. The method according to Embodiment 4, wherein the identification of the plurality of specific symbols includes a start symbol associated with the start time slot and an end symbol associated with the last permitted time slot within each period.

[0137] 7. The method according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 6, wherein the setting further includes information for identifying one or more instances of the UL shared channel within each period.

[0138] 8. The method according to Embodiment 7, wherein the setting includes the period of the UL shared channel within each period.

[0139] 9. The method according to Embodiment 7, wherein the setting indicates the start position of each of the plurality of UL shared channel instances within each period.

[0140] 10. The method according to Embodiment 9, the setting indicates the start position by means of a second bitmap including a second plurality of bits, each of the second plurality of bits is associated with a specific time slot within each subframe.

[0141] 11. A method according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 10, wherein the setting further indicates whether the setting is applicable to all permitted time slots within each period or only to a subset of the permitted time slots within each period.

[0142] 12. A method according to any one of Embodiments 1 to 11, wherein the setting further indicates to which traffic class the setting is applicable.

[0143] 13. A method for scheduling transmission by a user equipment (UE) of information on an uplink (UL) shared channel within a cell of a radio access network (RAN), transmitting to the user equipment (UE) operating within the cell a setting of a plurality of periodic periods available for transmitting information on the UL shared channel; a period value indicating a number of consecutive time slots of a certain integer associated with each period; and a permission value indicating a specific plurality of time slots within each period during which transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted, including receiving information from the UE on the UL shared channel during at least one of the set plurality of periodic periods.

[0144] 14. The method of Embodiment 13, wherein the setting further identifies a start time slot within each period, and the permission value indicates a number of time slots such that the specific plurality of time slots includes a certain number of time slots starting at the start time slot.

[0145] 15. The method of Exemplary Embodiment 13, wherein the permission value includes a first bitmap including a first plurality of bits, each of the first plurality of bits being associated with a specific time slot within each period.

[0146] 16. A method according to any one of embodiments 13 to 15, wherein each time slot includes a plurality of symbols, and the setting further identifies the plurality of specific symbols within each permitted time slot in which transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted.

[0147] 17. A method according to the exemplary embodiment 16, wherein the identification of the plurality of specific symbols includes a start symbol and a number of consecutive symbols.

[0148] 18. A method according to the exemplary embodiment 16, wherein the identification of the plurality of specific symbols includes a start symbol associated with the start time slot and an end symbol associated with the last permitted time slot within each period.

[0149] 19. A method according to any one of exemplary embodiments 13 to 18, wherein the setting further includes information identifying one or more instances of the UL shared channel within each period.

[0150] 20. A method according to embodiment 19, wherein the setting includes the period of the UL shared channel within each period.

[0151] 21. A method according to embodiment 19, wherein the setting indicates the start position of each of the plurality of UL shared channel instances within each period.

[0152] 22. A method according to embodiment 21, wherein the setting indicates each start position by a second bitmap including a second plurality of bits, each bit of the second plurality of bits being associated with a specific time slot within each subframe.

[0153] 23. A method according to any one of embodiments 13 to 22, further indicating whether the setting is applicable to all time slots within each period or only to a subset of the permitted time slots within each period.

[0154] 24. A method according to any one of embodiments 13 to 23, wherein the setting further indicates to which traffic class the setting is applicable.

[0155] 25. A user equipment (UE) configured to transmit information on an uplink (UL) shared channel within a cell of a radio access network (RAN), the UE comprising: a communication circuit configured to communicate with a network node providing service to the cell; a processing circuit operably associated with the communication circuit and configured to perform operations corresponding to any one of exemplary embodiments 1 to 12.

[0156] 26. A network node configured to schedule the transmission of information on an uplink (UL) shared channel within a cell of a radio access network (RAN) by a user equipment (UE), the network node comprising: a communication circuit configured to communicate with the UE; a processing circuit operably associated with the communication circuit and configured to perform operations corresponding to any one of exemplary embodiments 13 to 24.

[0157] 27. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that configure a user equipment (UE) to perform operations corresponding to any one of exemplary embodiments 1 to 12 when executed by at least one processor of the UE.

[0158] 28. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that configure a network node to perform operations corresponding to any one of exemplary embodiments 13 to 24 when executed by at least one processor of the network node.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting information on an uplink (UL) shared channel within a cell of a radio access network (RAN), comprising: receiving, from a network node providing services to the cell, a setting of a plurality of periodic periods available for transmitting information on the UL shared channel, the setting comprising: a period value indicating an integer of consecutive time slots associated with each period; and a permission value indicating a specific time slot within each period while transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted; transmitting information on the UL shared channel during at least one of the plurality of set periodic periods; and the setting further includes information identifying one or more instances of the UL shared channel within each time slot.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the setting further identifies a start time slot within each period, and the permission value indicates the plurality of time slots such that the specific time slot starts with the start time slot.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the permission value includes a first bitmap including a first plurality of bits, and each bit of the first plurality of bits is associated with a specific time slot within each period.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each time slot includes a plurality of symbols, and the setting further identifies a specific symbol among the plurality of symbols within each permitted time slot while transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein A method for identifying the specific symbol, including a start symbol and the number of consecutive symbols.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the identification of the specific symbol includes a start symbol associated with a start time slot and an end symbol associated with the last permitted time slot within each period.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the setting includes the period of the UL shared channel within each time slot.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the setting indicates the start position of each of a plurality of UL shared channel instances within each period.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the setting indicates the respective start positions by a second bitmap including a second plurality of bits, and each bit of the second plurality of bits is associated with a specific time slot within each subframe.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the setting further indicates whether the setting is applicable to all of the permitted time slots within each period or only to a subset of the permitted time slots within each period.

11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the setting further indicates the traffic class to which the setting is applicable.

12. A method for scheduling the transmission of information by a user equipment (UE) on an uplink (UL) shared channel within a cell of a radio access network (RAN), To transmit to a user equipment (UE) operating within the cell a setting of a plurality of periodic periods available for transmitting information on the UL shared channel, the setting comprising: a period value indicating an integer of consecutive time slots associated with each period; a permission value indicating a specific time slot within each period while transmission on the UL shared channel is permitted; and to receive information from the UE on the UL shared channel during at least one of the plurality of set periodic periods; comprising; the setting further comprising information identifying one or more instances of the UL shared channel within each time slot.

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