Joint resource pool for uplink communications

Abstract

To solve a problem in which it is difficult to address all possible failures, especially for scheduled transmissions.SOLUTION: An embodiment relates to a communication network between user equipment UE and another device such as a base station BS. An embodiment relates to a communication method, for example an uplink UL. A Joint Resource Pool (JRP) is defined and configured to use a ranking of JRP resources to give priority to a particular ranked JRP resource that provides a gain towards a target goal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5b

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Technical Field The embodiment relates to a communication network between user equipment UE and other devices such as base stations BS.

[0002] The embodiment relates to a communication method, for example for uplink UL. [Background technology]

[0003] Background technology A communication network may require transmission and reception between user equipment UE and a central entity or device (e.g., base station BS such as eNB / gNB, core network entity) in the uplink UL (UE to BS) and / or downlink DL (BS to UE).

[0004] For example, interference may occur between transmission and / or reception of different UEs using the same BS.

[0005] Conventional technology Here, we focus on uplink (UL) communications from a user terminal (or user equipment (UE)) or multiple UEs to a base station (BS) in a communication system (e.g., a wireless communication system). Multiple UEs can simultaneously transmit voice or data packets to the BS.

[0006] In mobile communication systems, the uplink (UL) is the limiting factor. User equipment (UE) has limited capabilities, mainly due to the fact that these devices are highly integrated, especially with reference to: -Limited transmit power -Limited processing power -Battery Limit - Use of spatial degrees of freedom due to the complexity of UEs that only support a single transmit / receive antenna or a small number of transmit / receive antennas

[0007] Furthermore, the signal from the UE to the base station may be subject to many impairments, including: The UE may be blocked from the base station signal (e.g., inside a building). The UE may be located at the cell edge of the cell. The UE may hand over to another cell. - If a UE receives signals from a series of base stations transmitting on the same frequency, it may be in an interference zone. The UE may move at different speeds and therefore the radio channel may change during communication.

[0008] Figure 11 shows the different UEs (UE´ k ,UE´ i ,UE´ A ) shows a prior art system in which a UE communicates with a base station on the uplink using the standard Uu interface. k is the UE´ in a device-to-device (D2D) scenario using a PC5 link. i A UE may experience interference from other UEs.

[0009] In some communication schemes, periodic transmissions are scheduled by the BS between different UEs. Theoretically, when one UE transmits UL data, other UEs are not expected to transmit simultaneously. However, in practice, interference actually occurs due to UEs in adjacent cells transmitting in the same time slot and in the same frequency band.

[0010] In some cases, PC5-based interference may occur if the PC5 resources are not sufficiently aligned with the resources provided by the base station for Uu, which may cause interference in some cases.

[0011] Interference from neighboring cells can occur, for example, in LTE / NR networks. j The transmission of UE A An example of interference with the transmission of Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] Prior art techniques have been developed to address communication failures, but it is difficult to address all possible failures, especially for scheduled transmissions, where a retransmission of previously transmitted data or a redundant version of the data may replace (or cause a collision with) subsequently transmitted data. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] Summary of the Invention According to one aspect, the user equipment UE is configured as follows. - Receive configuration data of a joint resource pool JRP for uplink UL communication on JRP physical resources shared with other UEs from an external device. -Performs UL communication by transmitting data on granted physical resources. - Decide whether to perform additional UL communication, and if so, perform the additional UL communication by transmitting data about the JRP physical resources. Thus, the UE can be provided with additional communication resources that can be used when needed (eg emergency calls, lower QoS) and the UE can be adapted to network conditions.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the configuration data of the JRP includes rules for medium access and / or collision resolution and / or data retransmission and / or redundant transmission.

[0015] For this reason, in addition to defining the JRP resources (e.g., time slots, frequency bands, code dimensions, spatial channels, power levels, etc.), the JRP configuration data can also define for each UE how to behave when accessing the JRP resources (e.g., which medium access protocol to use). Thus, the UE will operate with a more favorable communication scheme, thus increasing the QoS of the entire network.

[0016] According to one aspect, the UE may be configured to determine whether to perform additional UL communications according to criteria related to at least one of traffic or traffic metrics, quality of service QoS, QoS metrics, incorrect transmission data determination or metrics for incorrect transmission data determination, communication urgency and / or selection.

[0017] Thus, for example, a UE with low QoS may use JRP if it determines that it needs communication resources other than those granted, allowing the UE to adapt to the particular situation.

[0018] According to one aspect, the UE can be configured to use a particular granted resource for retransmitting data and to use JRP for transmitting data scheduled for the particular granted resource, which can be a rule provided by an external device providing configuration data.

[0019] Therefore, retransmitted data (which may be, for example, data previously transmitted by the UE but not properly received by the receiver) can be retransmitted on physical resources not used for the previously transmitted data, thus increasing diversity. That is, if the granted physical resources used for the previously transmitted data become less reliable than the JRP granted resources (e.g., suddenly, for a very short time), the probability of a correct retransmission increases, thus improving reliability. Thus, the UE can adaptively select a more reliable channel for a previous inaccurate transmission.

[0020] According to one aspect, the UE can be configured to use a ranking of JRP resources to give priority to higher ranking JRP resources, which can be rules provided in configuration data by an external device.

[0021] For example, the JRP physical resources allocated to a first UE may include a plurality of resources ranked at least from the first ranking. The first selection for the first UE may be the first-ranked JRP physical resource. The final selection for the UE may be the lowest-ranked JRP physical resource. Similarly, the JRP physical resources allocated to a second UE may include a plurality of resources ranked at least from the first ranking. The ranking of the first UE may be different from that of the second UE. For example, the ranking of the second UE may be the inverse of that of the first UE. Therefore, if the first and second UEs both use the first-ranked allocated resource, their communications will not collide because they communicate using different physical resources. This reduces the occurrence of collisions and improves reliability.

[0022] According to one aspect, the UE can include a transmit queue implemented in a medium access control (MAC) layer and / or a physical (PHY) layer. According to one aspect, the UE can be configured to evacuate the transmit queue using JRP and / or granted resources according to configuration data.

[0023] Thus, the granted resources and JRP resources used by the UE can be mapped to the UE's hardware. The UE may be guided in selecting the physical resources to be used. There may be a granted portion and a JRP portion. In each portion (which may be represented, for example, as a matrix), each row may be associated with UL data (packets, messages, transmissions) to be transmitted. There may be an association of each UL data with a specific granted or JRP physical resource (e.g., time slot, frequency band, spatial channel, code dimension, power level, etc.). Writing to a queue may, for example, imply transmission of the UL data on the associated granted or JRP physical resource. Removing data from a queue may imply avoiding transmission of that data (if the data has not yet been transmitted).

[0024] According to one aspect, the UE can be configured to access the JRP via a listen-before-talk scheme (e.g., CSMA), which may be a rule provided in configuration data by an external device.

[0025] Therefore, the occurrence of collision transmission can be avoided, and reliability can be improved.

[0026] According to one aspect, the UE can be configured to access the JRP by a frequency hopping scheme, which can be a rule provided in configuration data by an external device.

[0027] Therefore, in view of increasing the probability of different UEs transmitting on different frequencies, the occurrence of colliding transmissions can be reduced, and therefore reliability can be increased.

[0028] According to one aspect, the JRP physical resources may be at least one or some or any combination of the time domain, the frequency domain, the space domain, the code domain, and the power domain, which the external device may indicate in the configuration data.

[0029] Therefore, the JRP physical resources are best suited for transmission and can therefore be adapted to the network conditions.

[0030] According to one embodiment, the device may be configured as follows. -Determine physical resources to form a joint resource pool JRP based on traffic metrics, quality of service (QoS) metrics, determination of incorrect data reception, communication urgency and / or selection, the physical resources being shared by different user equipments (UE) for uplink UL communications. Signaling JRP physical resources to at least some of the UEs (e.g., by sending configuration data).

[0031] A device, which may be a central entity such as a base station BS (eNB / gNB, core network entity, etc.) or a UE selected among multiple UEs, can therefore determine the physical resources for each UE, thus controlling communication within the network and determining the most appropriate configuration for the network.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the device may be configured as follows. - Defining different rankings of JRP physical resources for different UEs in order to prioritize different JRP physical resources for different UEs and / or to increase the probability of using different JRP physical resources by different UEs. Signaling the ranking of different resources to different UEs (e.g., by sending configuration data).

[0033] Thus, the device can instruct different UEs to use different rankings, reducing the possibility of collisions on the same JRP physical resource.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the device may be configured as follows. -Defining different rankings of JRP physical resources for different UEs and increasing the probability of receiving a correct retransmission by giving different priorities to different JRP physical resources for different UEs and / or increasing the probability that different UEs use different physical resources to determine the reception of corrupted (incorrectly decoded) data. Signaling the ranking of different resources to different UEs (eg, by sending configuration data).

[0035] Thus, if the device determines that UL data is being received incorrectly, it can start over by modifying the ranking of each UE, thereby reducing the probability of collision.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the device may be configured as follows. -Determine the rules for medium access and / or collision resolution and / or data retransmission within the JRP. Signaling the rules to at least some of the UEs (e.g., by sending configuration data).

[0037] Thus, the device not only determines which JRP physical resources should be used, but also defines how each UE behaves when entering the JRP resources.

[0038] According to one embodiment, the device may be configured as follows. - Determining different back-off timers for retransmissions in JRPs associated with different UEs. Signaling different back-off timers to different UEs (e.g., by sending configuration data).

[0039] Therefore, following this rule, the UE can retransmit in different time slots without collisions. Such a rule is particularly advantageous in case of a first collision between UL data transmitted by two different UEs, i.e., a second collision is avoided in view of the definition of different back-off timers, thus improving reliability.

[0040] According to one embodiment, the method can include: - receiving, by the user equipment UE, configuration data of a joint resource pool JRP for uplink UL communication on JRP physical resources shared with at least one other UE; - performing UL communication by transmitting data on granted physical resources. - determining whether to perform additional UL communication, and if so, performing the additional UL communication by transmitting data about JRP physical resources;

[0041] Embodiments of the method may be performed, for example, by any of the UEs described above and / or below.

[0042] According to one embodiment, the method can include: - determining physical resources to form a joint resource pool JRP based on at least one of traffic metrics, quality of service QoS metrics, determination of reception of corrupted data, communication urgency and / or selection, wherein the JRP physical resources are shared by different user equipments UE for uplink UL communication. - signaling physical resources to at least one or some of the UEs.

[0043] An embodiment of this method may be performed, for example, by any of the above and / or below described devices (eg, a central entity such as a BS, a selected UE, etc.).

[0044] The above method can be performed to form a method according to one embodiment.

[0045] According to one aspect, a configuration step can be provided in which the UE defines or selects the central entity. It is not strictly necessary for the BS to be the central entity. The central entity can be, for example, one of the UEs.

[0046] According to one aspect, a non-transitory storage unit can store instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform any of the methods described above or below and implement any of the products described above or below.

[0047] In an embodiment, a user equipment can use the ranking of JRP resources to give priority to particular ranked JRP resources that provide gains for a targeted goal.

[0048] DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The embodiments will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0049] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 illustrates a method according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2a] FIG. 2a shows a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2b] FIG. 2b shows a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2c] FIG. 2c shows a system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows an apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows an apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5a] FIG. 5a illustrates a technique according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5b] FIG. 5b illustrates a technique according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5c] FIG. 5c illustrates a technique according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6a] FIG. 6a illustrates a technique according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6b] FIG. 6b illustrates a technique according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6c] FIG. 6c illustrates a technique according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 illustrates a technique according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 illustrates a technique according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 illustrates a technique according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 illustrates a technique according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 shows a prior art system. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 shows an apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0050] Detailed Description 1 illustrates a method 10. The method 10 can allow user equipment (UE) communication on an uplink (UL).

[0051] Method 10 may include, for example, method 12. Method 12 may include, for example, step 13, determining physical resources forming a joint resource pool (JRP), where the physical resources are shared by different user equipment (UE) for uplink UL communications. Method 12 may include, for example, step 14, signaling physical resources (e.g., for UL in the JRP) to at least some of the UEs (in some cases, DL physical resources and / or allowed UL physical resources may be signaled). Step 14 may include transmitting configuration data to the UEs (the configuration data may include, among other things, an indication of the JRP physical resources to be used by the UEs, and / or rules for medium access, and / or rules for collision resolution, and / or rules for data retransmission, and in some embodiments, other data). Different physical resources of the JRP may be indicated to different UEs. Method 12 may be performed, for example, by a central entity. The central entity may include a device (such as a base station BS, which may be a gNB / eNB or a core network entity or a UE elected or selected as the central entity by a group of UEs) that determines the resources to be used by the UEs. Method 12 may be performed by the same entity that allocates granted physical resources to UEs (eg, a scheduler device) for the UL and / or DL.

[0052] In some embodiments, the configuration data can be signaled (at 14) using the physical downlink control channel PDCCH, or enhanced PDCCH (ePDCCH) or sPDCCH (short transmission time interval sTTI mode, and / or ultra-reliable low latency communication URLLC traffic) or sidelink, using the evolved packet core (EPC), LTE, 4G and 5G terminology. The signaling step can be performed via unicast, multicast and / or broadcast.

[0053] Method 10 may, for example, include method 15. Method 15 may include step 16 of receiving (e.g., from an apparatus performing method 12 and / or step 14) configuration data for a joint-resource pool JRP for uplink UL communication on JRP physical resources shared with other UEs (e.g., the configuration data may include information about which JRP objects are configured). (The JRP physical resources indicate which UEs and / or which rules for medium access and / or collision resolution and / or data retransmission and / or redundant retransmission, etc.) An instance of method 15 may be performed by each UE (different UEs may perform different instances, e.g., as a result of different configuration data and / or different conditions). Method 15 may include step 17 of performing UL communication, e.g., by transmitting data on granted physical resources (which may, e.g., be physical resources not part of the JRP) and / or by receiving data in the DL (e.g., from a central entity such as a BS). Method 10 may include step 18 of determining whether to perform additional UL communication. If so, the method may include performing the additional UL communication by transmitting data on the JRP physical resources. Method 15 may be performed by each of a group of different UEs. Each UE may be indicated with different physical resources of the JRP. Therefore, each UE performs UL communication on the granted physical resources in step 17, and if it determines the possibility and / or need to perform additional UL communication, each UE can transmit UL data (e.g., packets) using physical resources of the JRP that may differ from the physical resources of the JRP used by (allocated to) other UEs, although some of the different UEs may share some resources of the JRP.

[0054] The method 10 may provide communication under a standard for mobile communications, such as 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), 4G, 5G, Long Term Evolution (LTE), NR, or EPC. The communication may conform to Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN), or evolved UTRAN (eUTRAN). The communication may include time division duplex (TDD) transmissions (UL and / or DL ​​transmissions). The communication may include frequency division duplex (FDD) transmissions (UL and / or DL ​​transmissions). The BS may be an evolved node (eNB), a gNB (using 5G terminology), or generally, a gNB / eNb. In some embodiments, the UE will use the BS as an interface to a core network, e.g., an evolved packet core (EPC), to establish radio bearers with specific QoS requirements. In NR, the UE may establish service flows through a core network, e.g., a gNB coupled to the EPC, to enable packet-by-packet service flows.

[0055] The EPC is an evolved packet core, consisting of specific standardized interfaces and entities, that can be used to connect the Radio Access Network (RAN) with the Internet or other non-3GPP interfaces (e.g., WLAN, etc.). The EPC can terminate connections in LTE / NR networks, for example, configuring security, QoS bearers / flows, etc.

[0056] In some embodiments, at least some steps of the communication at 14, 16, 17 and / or 18 may be performed in accordance with, for example, the LTE or NR standards and / or other radio access technologies such as, for example, WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.

[0057] The communication may be wireless, for example radio frequency (RF) using electromagnetic waves. In some embodiments, the communication may use ultrasound.

[0058] In an embodiment, the wireless communication is an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) system, an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) system as defined by the LTE standard, or any other IFFT-based signal with or without CP, such as DFT-S-OFDM or S It can be based on single-tone or multi-carrier systems based on frequency division multiplexing such as C-FDMA. Other waveforms can be used, such as non-orthogonal waveforms for multiple access, e.g., filter bank multi-carrier (FBMC). It is also possible to use CP-SCFDMA (cyclic prefix single-carrier FDMA), e.g., in localized or continuous mode.

[0059] FIG. 2a illustrates a system 20. The system 20 may be implemented in, for example, a cellular network or a portion thereof. The system 20 may include a central entity 22. The system 20 may include multiple UEs 24, 26, and 28. The central entity 22 may perform, for example, at least some of the steps of method 12. The central entity may be, for example, a BS (e.g., a gNB / eNB, a core network entity). The central entity 22 may define JRP physical resources for each UE. The user central entity 22 may define granted physical resources for each UE (e.g., by scheduling), for example, for UL and / or DL ​​communications. The central entity 22 may perform signaling activities by transmitting signals 24′, 26′, and 28′ to the UEs 24, 26, and 28, respectively. The signals may transmit JRP configuration data. In some embodiments, JRP configuration data intended for different UEs may transmit different information. That is, a particular UE does not necessarily need to know the configuration data signaled to other UEs. In some embodiments, the configuration data for signals 24', 26', 28' is signaled over one of the physical downlink control channels PDCCH, ePDCCH and sPDCCH or the sidelink (e.g., using a PC5 interface). The UEs 24, 26, 28 can perform UL communications 24", 26", 28", respectively, on the granted physical resources in step 17. If one of the UEs 24, 26, 28 needs to transmit data from the granted physical resources upon its revocation, it can perform UL communications 24"", 26"", 28"" using the JRP physical resources.

[0060] In some embodiments, the central unit is a unit (which may be a UE) that transmits configuration data to other UEs (e.g., in step 14). Hence, a distributed solution can be implemented. Multiple UEs can select or define a central unit among themselves and can define configuration data for the other UEs. Decision criteria (e.g., UE serial number), random, semi-random, or pseudo-random criteria, or other criteria can be used to select or define the central entity. Hence, the central entity may be different from the BS in some cases. The configuration data can be transmitted at 14, for example, using D2D.

[0061] 2b and 2c illustrate a system 20b. The system 20b may include a BS 22b that is not the central entity that performs steps 13 and 14 (although in some cases, the BS 22b may be a scheduler for granted resources and / or for scheduling DL resources). In this case, the central entity is one of the UEs 24, 26, 28 and may be selected or defined by the UE. FIG. 2b particularly illustrates a configuration step in which the UEs 24, 26, 28 define or select a central entity by transmitting communications 24b, 27b, 28b to each other (e.g., using D2D, PC5, Bluetooth, WiFi, etc.). In this case, the central entity is selected to be the UE 26 (selection may be performed by election, selection, or other methods). As shown in FIG. 2c, the UE 26 (acting as a central entity) can define the JRP features and / or rules for handling medium access and / or collision resolution in step 13 and sends signals 24′ and 28′ (carrying configuration data) to the UEs 24 and 28 in step 14. BS 22b. The UEs 24 and 28 receive the signals 24' and 28' in step 16. The UEs (and in some embodiments the UE / central entity 26) can perform UL communications 24", 26", 28" towards BS 22b using the granted physical resources in step 17. The UEs (and in some embodiments the UE / central entity 26) can perform UL communications 24'", 26'", 28'" towards BS 22b using the JRP physical resources in step 18.

[0062] In embodiments (such as those shown in Figures 2a, 2b, and 2c), at least one or more of the UEs may be devices selected from, for example, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a mobile / portable terminal, a mobile / portable computer, a tablet, a repeater, a vehicular communication device in an automobile, truck, or bus, a mobile communication device in a drone or other air vehicle, etc. At least some of the UEs may be IoT devices or communication devices connected to IoT devices. In some cases, in the example of Figure 2b, the central entity 26 may be a regular UE selected or defined among other UEs.

[0063] The physical resources (granted physical resources and / or JRP physical resources) may be, for example, at least one or a combination of the time domain, the frequency domain, the spatial domain, the code domain, and the power domain, and a multiplexing technique in at least one of these domains may be implemented.

[0064] Referring to the time domain, the granted physical resources may include time slots assigned (e.g., by scheduling) to different UEs to perform UL transmissions. Each time slot may be a physical resource assigned to a specific UE. A time slot may be a transmission time interval (TTI) or a shortened TTI (sTTI), a group of TTIs, or a minislot (NR terminology). When performing step 17, the UE can perform UL communication during its pre-assigned (scheduled) time slot.

[0065] In the time domain, the JRP physical resource may include time slots that are not pre-assigned to a single UE. When performing step 18, a UE can access the JRP by transmitting data on the UL during one of the JRP time slots.

[0066] Referring to the frequency domain, the granted physical resources may include frequency bands assigned (e.g., by scheduling) to different UEs for performing UL transmissions. Each frequency band may be a physical resource assigned to a specific UE. When performing step 17, the UE can perform UL communication using its pre-assigned (scheduled) frequency.

[0067] In the frequency domain, the JRP physical resource may include a frequency band that has not been pre-assigned to a UE. When performing step 18, the UE can access the JRP by transmitting data on the UL using the JRP frequency band.

[0068] Referring to the spatial domain, the granted physical resources may include spatial channels (e.g., obtained by beamforming) assigned (e.g., by scheduling) to different UEs for performing UL transmissions. Each spatial channel may be a physical resource assigned to a specific UE. When performing step 17, the UE may use that spatial channel to perform UL communication.

[0069] Referring to the spatial domain, the JRP physical resources may include spatial channels that have not been pre-assigned to a single UE. When performing step 18, the UE can access the JRP by transmitting data on the UL using the JRP spatial channels.

[0070] Referring to the code domain, the granted physical resources may include codes assigned (e.g., by scheduling) to different UEs to perform UL transmissions, e.g., to utilize a non-orthogonal multiple access (MUST) scheme. The codes may be physical resources that can be divided among different UEs. When performing step 17, the UEs can use the codes to perform UL communication.

[0071] Referring to the code domain, the JRP physical resource may include codes that are not pre-assigned to a particular UE. When performing step 18, the UE can access the JRP by transmitting data on the UL using the JRP code.

[0072] Referring to the power range, the granted physical resources may include power levels allocated (e.g., by scheduling) to different UEs for performing UL transmissions. Each power value (e.g., a range of power levels) may be a physical resource that can be allocated to a specific UE. When performing step 17, the UE can perform UL communication using that power level.

[0073] With reference to the power domain, the JRP physical resource may include a power level (e.g., a power level range) that has not been pre-assigned to a particular UE. When performing step 18, the UE can access the JRP by transmitting UL data at that power level.

[0074] In some embodiments, each physical resource (granted physical resource and / or JRP physical resource) may include a combination of the time domain, frequency domain, spatial domain, code domain, and power domain. For example, a particular UE may be determined (scheduled) by a central entity to transmit during a first time slot, on a first frequency band, on a first spatial channel, with a first code, at a first power level, and during a second time slot, on a second frequency band, on a second spatial channel, with a second code, at a second power level, etc. Therefore, each physical resource (granted physical resource or JRP physical resource) may be defined as any combination of time, frequency, spatial channel, code, and / or power level.

[0075] In an embodiment, the JRP physical resources may be at least in the (propagation) delay domain. In an embodiment, the JRP physical resources may be at least in the Doppler domain. These solutions can be achieved by allocating resources in the delay-Doppler domain as they are addressable by waveforms such as OTFS.

[0076] In some embodiments, the physical resources may include device-to-device (D2D) communications, for example according to PC5.

[0077] JRP physical resources may be used, for example, when the data being transmitted exceeds the allowed physical resources.

[0078] In some embodiments, UL transmissions performed using granted physical resources and / or JRP physical resources include LTE Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH), Supports at least one of ePUCCH and sPUCCH (e.g., using the types set for LTE, 4G, NR, and 5G).

[0079] The JRP configuration data can, for example, associate physical resources with multiple UEs for performing UL. The JRP configuration data can, for example, associate some physical resources with one of the UEs (e.g., the first UE to access the JRP resources). Additionally or alternatively, the JRP configuration data can associate different physical resources with different UEs or groups of UEs (e.g., restricting the possibility of accessing the JRP resources to some specific UEs).

[0080] Additionally or alternatively, the JRP configuration data may define different rankings of JRP resources for different UEs. For example, a first UE may preferably access the JRP using a first frequency band (the first ranked frequency band for the first UE) and, if necessary, a second frequency band (the second ranked frequency band for the first UE), and a second UE may preferably access the JRP using a second frequency band (the first ranked frequency band for the second UE) and, if necessary, the first frequency band (the second ranked frequency band for the second UE). This may reduce the probability of collision.

[0081] Different rankings may be defined, for example, after inaccurate UL data is received by a central entity (e.g., BS), to increase the probability of having different UL transmissions performed on different JRP physical resources, reducing the probability of collisions and increasing reliability.

[0082] In an embodiment, the central entity may be an orchestrator. The orchestrator may be any device or entity capable of orchestrating medium access to radio resources by any means of communication between the orchestrator and the devices involved in the communication process using the UL resources of the JRP. In that sense, the orchestrator may be, for example, a database somewhere in the network accessible via an OTT communication link (OTT: Over-the-Top).

[0083] JRP resources can be ordered / ranked according to some criteria / metrics, e.g., congestion, RSSI level, etc. This means that selecting a specific resource from the ordered JRP allows achieving a specific goal with better results or less energy, effort, e.g., probability of message collision.

[0084] The ranking criteria can be, for example, as follows: -Carrier frequency with the possibility to select some of the different carrier frequencies, for example, if we operate JRP in dual connection mode or carrier aggregation -Interference level or interference power, pilot power, uplink transmit power, etc. -Available numerology (SCS) in a given bandwidth portion (BWP) preferring, for example, 30 kHz over 15 kHz

[0085] In some embodiments, it is possible to implement a frequency hopping scheme (e.g., requested by a central entity and / or BS). For example, each frequency band may be hopped separately by different UEs (e.g., in a random, semi-random, pseudo-random manner, or according to a predefined or defined sequence in configuration data). In some embodiments, the configuration data may allocate at least some JRP physical resources to at least some UEs as determined by the central entity and / or BS. can be prohibited from

[0086] The JRP configuration data may include different rules for accessing JRP physical resources and / or collision resolution. For example, the configuration data may define (for at least some UEs) that some UL data be (re)transmitted after a backoff timer (the length of which may be random, semi-random, pseudo-random, predefined, or defined in the configuration data) before a possible listening scheme. When operating in Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) mode, the device (e.g., UE) may, for example, perform carrier sensing combined with a random backoff before accessing JRP physical resources. The configuration data may provide that some UL data be retransmitted only using an Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) scheme or a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) scheme. The configuration data may provide that some UL data be retransmitted using a Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SPS) scheme.

[0087] 3 shows a JRP definer 30, which may be a central entity and / or a BS 22 or an elected or selected UE from among the UEs (or may be part of the JRP definer 30). The JRP definer 30 distributes configuration data 31 about JRP resources to different UEs (UE1, UE2, UE3, ..., UE N, some of which are UEs 24-26, at least one of which, in some embodiments, performs an instance of method 15.) can be transmitted (e.g., in step 14). The JRP definer 30 determines configuration data 31 (such as which physical resources to use for which UEs and / or which medium access and / or collision resolution rules to use for which UEs) based on one or more criteria. The criteria can include one or more pieces of data 33-37. In some embodiments, at least some of the data 32-37 can contribute to configuring the network status 32. The criteria may be predefined and / or defined and / or changed in real time.

[0088] The JRP definer 30 may define the configuration data based on criteria that include, at least in part, traffic 33 (or metrics or estimates related thereto) in the network. Traffic may be measured, for example, by considering the number of UEs present in the central device (which may be BSs such as g / eNBs), the number of current calls, the number of currently open sessions, etc. In some embodiments, if the traffic is not excessive, the number of UEs competing for one JRP physical resource may be increased. In some embodiments, it may be provided that upon determining an increase in the number of UEs (e.g., in a cell), the amount of JRP physical resources may be reduced by discarding at least some UEs.

[0089] The JRP definer 30 can define the configuration data based on criteria that include, at least in part, the quality of service (QoS) 34 (or metrics or estimates related thereto) in the network. QoS 34 can be measured, for example, by considering statistics of messages (e.g., UL communications from UEs to BSs) that are not correctly decoded. In some embodiments, if QoS is insufficient for some particular UEs, the JRP can be corrected by associating physical resources uniquely or preferentially to UEs that receive low QoS. In some embodiments, if QoS is generally insufficient, the amount of JRP physical resources can be increased.

[0090] The JRP definer 30 can define the configuration data based on criteria that include, at least in part, a determination of incorrect data 36. If UL data is not properly received by the central entity and / or the BS (JRP definer), the latter can request a retransmission of some data.

[0091] The estimates may include statistical data (e.g., related to geographic location, human presence, etc.). The estimates may be at least partially adjusted by historical data and / or may be automatically and / or at least partially calculated based on empirical knowledge.

[0092] The JRP definer 30 can define configuration data 31 for, for example, safety-related purposes (such as first responders) based on criteria that include at least in part the urgency 36 of the communication (call communication, special session, etc.). An example may be Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communication (URLLC). UEs that require urgent communication can be assigned to use additional JRP resources by the JRP definer 30. Conversely, JRP resources can be reduced for UEs that do not require urgent communication.

[0093] The JRP definer 30 can determine the configuration data 31 based on criteria that include, at least in part, a selection 37. Selected UEs can be allocated additional JRP physical resources. Non-selected UEs can be given a reduced (or, in some embodiments, null) amount of JRP physical resources. The selection can be driven, for example, by user request (e.g., as an additional service offered by a service provider managing the network). Thus, selected users can be provided with increased communication capacity and / or reliability and / or speed.

[0094] In particular, the JRP definer can operate in real time, for example by changing criteria based on different network conditions.

[0095] An example embodiment may be related to a sporting event. That is, it can be expected that some users in the public will require additional communication capabilities (premium services) typically associated with the time and location of a sporting event. For several hours before and after the event, user interest in premium services at that location will be significantly reduced. Therefore, different times of the day at the sporting event location may be associated with different criteria (and different configuration data, and different allocation of physical resources and rules to different UEs).

[0096] The criteria for allocating JRP resources to different UEs can change in real time based on the network conditions (UE status).

[0097] In some embodiments, a pre-condition for allocating physical JRP resources (or, in any case, modifying the configuration data) is the receipt by a JRP definer (a central device, e.g., a BS or a selected UE) of an explicit request from the UE. Based on the network conditions, the JRP definer (a central device, e.g., a BS) can decide to fulfill / reject the request.

[0098] FIG. 4 shows a device 40, which is connected to a UE or UEs (e.g., 24-28, UE1-UE N The processor 42 may be an electronic circuit, such as a mobile phone, that manages the UE (and / or performs method 15). The processor 42 may include a logic semiconductor device such as a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller, or a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The processor 42 may execute an application (e.g., a higher-layer application). For example, the application may request transmission of voice over a mobile phone network. In some embodiments, the processor 42 may support data transmission (e.g., VoIP or video data) and / or voice transmission.

[0099] The device 40 may include an input / output (I / O) unit 41. In some embodiments, the I / O unit 41 may obtain audio signals (or analog or digital electronic versions thereof) that are sent to the processor 42. The I / O unit 41 may additionally or alternatively be connected to a remote device (e.g., for a hotspot).

[0100] The apparatus may also include a non-transitory storage memory unit executed by the processor 42 to implement the UE functionality and / or at least some of steps 16-18 and / or the applications described above.

[0101] UL transmission may be performed by using antenna 44 controlled by communication unit 43, the latter in turn being controlled by processor 42. In an embodiment, I / O unit 41 (or a radio subunit of I / O unit 41) may be integrated into the same component of antenna 44 and / or communication unit 43.

[0102] The communication unit 43 may operate at the medium access control (MAC) layer and / or the physical (PHY) layer. The communication unit 43 may transmit data on the UL (e.g., towards the BS) and receive data on the DL (e.g., from the BS).

[0103] The communication unit 43 may perform UL transmissions on the granted physical resources based on a granted physical resource table 45. The table 45 may be embodied, for example, by a memory element (random access memory RAM, registers, FLASH memory, etc.). In some embodiments, the table 45 may be modified by the processor 42 (in some embodiments, the table 45 may be modified by the communication unit 43 and / or by both the processor and the communication unit). For example, the processor 42 may be instructed by the BS (or a selected UE) to select a particular scheduling.

[0104] Table 45 may guide communication unit 43 to correctly transmit UL data. In the representation of FIG. 4, each row of table 45 may be associated with a particular granted physical resource. Although only the time and frequency domains are shown in FIG. 4 for simplicity, columns of table 45 may be associated with a domain (e.g., time domain, frequency domain, spatial domain, code domain, power domain). Thus, each time UL data is to be transmitted, communication unit 43 knows, for example, in which time slot and / or frequency band (and / or spatial channel and / or code and / or power level) the UL communication will be performed.

[0105] The communication unit 43 may perform UL transmission on the JRP physical resources based on the JRP physical resource table 46. The table 46 may be embodied, for example, by a memory element (RAM, register, FLASH memory, etc.). In some embodiments, the table 46 may be created and / or controlled and / or modified by the processor 42 (in some embodiments, the table 46 may be modified by the communication unit 43 and / or both the processor and the communication unit). For example, the processor 42 may receive the configuration data (e.g., 31) obtained in step 16. Thus, the table 46 may guide the communication unit 43 to correctly transmit UL data using the JRP. In the representation of FIG. 4, each row of the table 46 may be associated with specific data to be transmitted. Each column of the table may be associated with a resource (time domain, frequency domain, spatial domain, code domain, and / or power domain). Each time UL data is to be transmitted in relation to the JRP, the communication unit 43 may determine, for example, which time slot(s) to use. The UL communication system knows, in what frequency band, on what spatial channel, with what code and / or at what power level the UL communication will be carried out.

[0106] In some embodiments, the positions in table 46 are ranked. The first row in table 46 may be associated with the first-ranked JRP resource, the second row may be associated with the second-ranked JRP resource, and so on. Thus, the JRP resources may be prioritized (e.g., subject to a priority scheme). The first-ranked JRP resource may be selected preferentially (or in some instances more probable, e.g., in the case of or using a random, semi-random, or pseudo-random strategy) over the second-ranked JRP resource. For example, processor 42 may assign data to be transmitted to the top row of table 46. Communication unit 43 will perform UL transmission of that data using the associated top-ranked JRP resource. If processor 42 accumulates multiple data in table 46 before retiring them (in the case of high-payload or urgent communications, e.g., PUCCH), some data to be transmitted will be ranked lower (relative to lower-ranked JRP resources). Nevertheless, communication unit 43 will transmit the data corresponding to the JRP resource in table 46.

[0107] In some cases, a frequency hopping scheme may be used: subsequent UL transmissions may be performed on different frequency bands.

[0108] In an embodiment, the ranking of JRP resources is assigned by a central entity (e.g., a BS, such as a gNB / eNB or a core network entity, or an elected or selected UE) and signaled to the UE as part of configuration data 31 (e.g., 24', 26', 28', 31, and / or step 14). In particular, the central entity and / or BS (e.g., 22, 30, and / or step 13) may associate different rankings (or probabilities in the case of a random, quasi-random, or pseudo-random strategy) with different UEs. For example, if a first UE is instructed to use a particular ranking and a second UE is instructed to use the opposite ranking of the first UE (e.g., if the first UE's highest ranked JRP resource is the second UE's lowest ranked JRP resource, or vice versa), collisions between their UL transmissions will be unlikely. Meanwhile, a first UE may preferentially transmit to a higher-ranked JRP resource, and a second UE may preferentially transmit to a JRP resource that is a lower-ranked resource from the first UE's perspective, thereby reducing the probability of collision. In an embodiment, a UE may use the ranking of the JRP resources (52a-52k) to prioritize a particular ranked JRP resource that provides a gain for a targeted goal. Essentially, tables 45 and 46 can be understood as forming a transmission queue of UL data for transmission. Processor 42 can allocate some data to be transmitted in table 45 (the granted resource portion of the queue) and other data to be transmitted in table 46 (the JRP resource portion of the queue). 5a shows an example of a subdivision of JRP physical resources 52 (JRP1, JRP2) and granted physical resources 51 (UEs associated with UE1, UE2, UE3) according to an embodiment. The configuration data 31 may provide, for example, that JRP1 is shared between UE1 and UE2, and JRP2 is shared between UE2 and UE3. JRP1 and JRP2 may be any collection (domain) of JRP physical resources in the time domain, frequency domain, space domain, code domain, and / or power domain. UE2 may, for example, select between JRP1 and JRP2.

[0109] 5b illustrates a JRP1 comprised of multiple JRP physical resources 52a-52h. In some embodiments, the JRP physical resources 52a-52h can be ranked. UE1 may have a ranking list (e.g., as defined by configuration data) in which JRP physical resource 52a is the first ranked resource, JRP physical resource 52b is the second ranked resource, and JRP physical resource 52k is the lowest ranked resource. UE2 may have a ranking list (e.g., as defined by configuration data) in which JRP physical resource 52k is the first ranked resource, JRP physical resource 52j is the second ranked resource, and JRP physical resource 52a is the lowest ranked resource. Thus, UE1 may select to preferentially transmit UL data using JRP physical resource 52a, while UE2 may select to preferentially transmit UL data using JRP physical resource 52k. In a situation where UE1 only transmits the upper half of JRP1 (eg, 51a-51e) and UE2 transmits the upper half of JRP2 (eg, 51k-51g), no collision occurs.

[0110] Figure 5c illustrates dynamic pool size adaptation according to an embodiment. iIf the UE needs to transmit more UL data than it can have its granted physical resources 51 i can use JRP resources 52. If a ranking scheme (e.g., a frequency hopping scheme) is used, the JRP i dynamically adapting to the needs of the resource (e.g., by preferentially selecting resource 52a, then 52b, then 52c, etc.).

[0111] 6a-6c show different cases of shared JRP resource usage. Case 1 in Fig. 6a shows UEs using different JRP physical resources (e.g., according to different rankings). i and UE k Case 2 in Figure 6b shows the case where the UE i and UE k Case 3 in Figure 6c shows the case where the UE i and UE k Increased use of JRP physical resources, UE i Some JRP physical resources used by the UE k In the latter case, collisions may occur due to overlapping of some JRP physical resources used by the UEs (e.g., see FIG. 5b, where both UEs may use some of resources 52a-52h).

[0112] In some embodiments, a collision may occur, for example, when two different UEs have the potential to perform UL communications at the same time.

[0113] The configuration data may include rules to be followed by at least some of the UEs regarding access medium and / or collision resolution when using JRP. In some embodiments, at least some (and in some specific embodiments, all) of the rules may be predefined. In some embodiments, the rules define how to multiplex data in different domains.

[0114] In some embodiments, UEs may allocate resources within a JRP region randomly, semi-randomly, pseudo-randomly, or based on predefined allocation and / or frequency hopping schemes according to rules contained in configuration data and / or predefined. Resource access may be contention-based. Data retransmissions may be based on random backoff timers, reducing the number of potential collisions.

[0115] In some embodiments, the UE may use JRP physical resources in the spatial domain according to rules contained in the configuration data and / or predefined, which may imply the use of diversity and / or beamforming techniques. In some embodiments, a conflict between some rules may be resolved by implementing a special beamforming technique only on resources used within the JRP domain.

[0116] In some embodiments, the JRP may be located in the Industrial, Scientific and Medical band (ISM) using LTE / NR unlicensed access procedures, such as Licensed Assisted Access (LAA), according to rules contained in configuration data and / or predefined.

[0117] In some embodiments, a Listen Before Talk (LBT) procedure may be used according to rules contained in configuration data and / or predefined. The LBT procedure may use WiFi and / or Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA / CA) MAC protocol and / or a Low Power Channel Hopping MAC protocol, such as those used in other wireless low power technologies, such as Bluetooth.

[0118] The hopping scheme can be random, semi-random, pseudo-random based, and / or based on predefined parameters or configuration data (e.g., provided by a central entity). Hence, when performing JRP on UL transmissions, a predefined hopping pattern can also be obtained.

[0119] In some embodiments, non-orthogonal multi-user transmission techniques (MUST), such as NOMA, can be used in the code domain according to rules contained in configuration data and / or predefined. UEs can transmit on the same physical resources and can be distinguished by receivers using special MUST decoders. According to some examples, collisions can be resolved by using MUST transmission techniques in the JRP domain.

[0120] In some embodiments, rules contained in the configuration data and / or pre-defined may operate on URLLC.

[0121] In some embodiments, the rules contained in the configuration data and / or pre-definitions may operate using semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) techniques.

[0122] In some embodiments, the rules included in the configuration data and / or predefined may operate using ARQ or HARQ techniques. Special HARQ procedures may be provided for the JRP.

[0123] According to some rules, the UE refrains from requesting an acknowledgement (ACK) or a non-acknowledgement (NACK) from the central entity and / or the BS (e.g., the BS).

[0124] Data can be retransmitted according to some rules. Retransmission can be performed according to some rules when it is determined (by the UE or by an external device such as a central entity and / or BS) that data is corrupted (e.g., by performing a technique such as a cyclic redundancy check (CRC)). According to some rules, when the external device (the central entity and / or BS) determines that UL data is corrupted, the external device can notify the UE of an incorrect decoding (e.g., sending a NACK). According to some rules, the external device (the central entity and / or BS) can send an ACK upon determining proper decoding of the UL data. That is, the UE can retransmit the data if it determines that an ACK has not been obtained within a threshold. According to some rules, at least some UL data is always retransmitted.

[0125] Figures 7 and 8 show the rules for retransmitting previously transmitted data (either JRP or G) when data originally scheduled for G is shifted to JRP. show.

[0126] Figure 7 shows an example of UL data retransmission according to certain rules (predefined and / or included in the configuration data). G refers to the granted physical resources, and JRP refers to the JRP physical resources. UL data #1 is scheduled to be transmitted sequentially before data #2, #3, #4, and #5. Data #1 is scheduled to be transmitted before data #1 in G. * , and retransmitted (taking into account, for example, increasing redundancy as a result of incorrect decoding decisions or routines). * The transmission of Data #1 may be on the same granted physical resource allocated to Data #4, and may be shifted to the JRP. * The transmission includes redundant data.

[0127] 4 and 7, data #1, #2, #3, #4, and #5 were originally stored in different rows of the granted physical resource table 45. However, when it is decided to retransmit data #1, data #4 is deleted from the granted physical resource table 45 and written to the JRP physical resource table 46. On the other hand, data #1 * is written to the allowed physical resource table 45. This delete-rewrite technique may be performed by the processor 42, and / or by the communication controller 43, and / or by other hardware, according to examples and embodiments.

[0128] 8 shows an example of UL data retransmission according to rules (predefined and / or included in configuration data). While data #1a is transmitted on granted physical resource G, data #1b is transmitted in JRP, e.g., using different physical resources (e.g., different frequency bands, different spatial channels, different power levels). Retransmission of data #1b is performed on G, i.e., on the same physical resources originally scheduled for data #3.

[0129] 4 and 8, data #1a, #2, #3, and #4 are originally stored in different rows of the granted physical resource table 45, and data #1b is originally stored in the JRP physical resource table 46. However, when it is decided to retransmit data #1b, data #3 is deleted from the granted physical resource table 45 and written to the JRP physical resource table 46, and data #1b is written to the granted physical resource table 45.

[0130] This erase-rewrite technique may be performed by the processor 42, and / or by the communications controller 43, and / or by other hardware, according to examples and embodiments.

[0131] 9 illustrates a technique for following rules that can be used in addition to or instead of the rules of FIG. 8. Data #1 is sent in JRP, but after the backoff timer expires, the data is * will be retransmitted as

[0132] Retransmissions on different resources may be advantageous in that some resources may be unavailable or unreliable (e.g., temporarily or unpredictably). Therefore, retransmissions on G instead of JRP may improve diversity and reliability.

[0133] According to embodiments and / or rules, the above and / or below data retransmissions may be completed fully (e.g., by retransmitting the entire message) and / or partially (e.g., by retransmitting only part of the data). According to embodiments and / or rules, the above and / or below data retransmissions may be completed only when redundant data is transmitted (e.g., using HARQ techniques). The information may be transmitted in the form of a message (about the technique).

[0134] In particular, efficiency can be increased since a central device (eg, BS) does not need to reschedule communications.

[0135] Some rules (e.g., provided by configuration data and / or predefined ones) may imply the use of back-off timers for different UEs, for example, when implementing SPS techniques. An example is provided by FIG. 10. A collision between data transmitted by UEs A and C may occur as a result of both UEs starting UL transmissions simultaneously within the same JRP resource block 101, to which both UEs have access rights (e.g., according to configuration data transmitted by the central entity and / or the BS). Both transmitted data are not properly decoded by the central entity and / or the BS. Therefore, the UEs send a NACK message (at 102) directed to UE A and a NACK message (at 103) directed to UE C. The UEs can retransmit the data (at 104 and 105) after waiting for different back-off timers (T1 and T2) to elapse. The back-off timer may be provided in the NACK message by the central entity and / or the BS, may be predefined, may be randomly, semi-randomly, or pseudo-randomly determined by the UE, and / or may be indicated in configuration data sent by the central entity and / or the BS.

[0136] Some rules can provide LBT techniques (e.g., CSMA / CA). Each UE can detect transmissions (e.g., by sampling) before starting transmissions in the JRP. A carrier sensing scheme can be used. For example, a back-off timer can be used by a first UE that detects that a particular JRP resource is being accessed by another UE. While waiting for the back-off timer to elapse, the first UE may perform UL communication on another granted physical resource. Thus, the probability of overlapping transmissions between different UEs is significantly reduced.

[0137] Some rules may provide that UL transmission using JRP may be initiated only upon detection of some specific error or only if a specific QoS flow is determined.

[0138] Some rules may provide for starting UL transmission using JRP only when a certain undesirable error rate is detected (e.g., a block or maximum packet error rate or NACK rate is experienced, or based on statistics related to HARQ).

[0139] Some rules may provide for at least some of the following schemes: - Configure switching of HARQ processes for JRP resources. -Configure back timer when using carrier sensing during random access of JRP resources. - Configure UEs to exchange information (e.g., via D2D and / or PC5) and align JRP access configurations, e.g., select orthogonal hopping sequences when in reach of each other. -Define sensing measurements in the resource pool (e.g., the UE randomly monitors the usage of JRP resources, or the BS monitors the JRP resources and sends it to the UE via unicast / multicast / broadcast. Based on this utilization, the device can choose to use the JRP resources).

[0140] Some rules may provide, for example, for selecting licensed frequency bands. -In-band (within the same component carrier) -Out-of-band (e.g., guard bands) - Carrier aggregation (e.g. separate bands) The JRP can be in the ISM band (special access of aggregated ISM resources) or any other type of unlicensed band.

[0141] Data that can be transmitted via the JRP may be: In some embodiments, only data resources (e.g., physical uplink shared channel, PUSCH) In some embodiments, only controlled resources, e.g., measurement reporting In some embodiments, both data resources and control resources

[0142] A description of the present invention is provided herein, specifically for URLLC services, referred to herein as a communication scenario in which UEs compete for resource grants in the UL, for example. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments could be used when a UE (or a group of UEs) experiences UL transmission peaks caused by data packets received from multiple retransmissions occurring at higher layers, e.g., the application layer or the physical layer. This conceptual embodiment could be applied, for example, when the transmission peaks occur on an irregular time basis and therefore cannot be handled by standard dynamic or semi-persistent (SPS) RRM at the given time intervals required by the service.

[0143] The key idea is that in the event of an instantaneous transmission peak (high traffic demand), the UE transmits excess data on resources using a joint resource pool (JRP) in addition to potentially allocated dedicated (or grant-based) physical resources. In an embodiment, the JRP may be reserved for multi-user grant-free access. This resource pool may include dynamic percentages of radio resources provided by a particular base station, for example, in the time, frequency, space, and / or code domains. If several UEs access the same JRP resources simultaneously, partial collisions for the JRP resources may occur.

[0144] Although a particular UE may not have resource grants for all data packets at a particular time instance, a single UE or set of UEs can transmit all data packets in a service queue within a very short time period, especially in the case of low latency traffic (such as in a URLLC scenario).

[0145] Since JRP is intended to be used on a grant-free basis, multiple UEs requiring JRP resources can transmit on the same physical resource. This can provide a faster method for resolving conflicts. Some methods may operate only in the JRP domain, or may consider both the JRP and dedicated data domains (granted physical resources) simultaneously. Refinement of specific use cases when accessing JRP is shown in Figure 5c and Figures 6a-6c.

[0146] Partial collisions may also occur when UEs in neighboring cells access the JRP. Therefore, the interference caused by surrounding UEs or base stations affects the JRP resource collision resolution.

[0147] Therefore, rules can be defined to handle this (eg signaled in configuration data 31 from a central entity to the UE). -JRP resource access procedures (contention-based, contention-free) Partial collision and collision resolution for JRP resources including HARQ protocols including partial decoding and partial retransmission of codewords - Joint use of dedicated and JRP resources, including HARQ protocols -Coding using the MUST concept for JRP resources Collision detection, including signaling of JRP resource utilization from a particular UE to another entity (UE via PC5, BS via Uu)

[0148] The following items may be related to signaling between a central entity (eg, BS) and a UE referencing a joint resource pool (JRP) and may be included in the information exchanged in the configuration data 31: - The location of the JRP in time and / or frequency and / or space and / or code and / or power level - Maximum JRP usage per UE (e.g., number of physical resources, either authorized resources and / or JRP resources) - multiplexing parameters (hopping sequence, code (e.g. CDMA) or non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) scheme, e.g. MUST sequence / pattern, time slot) Feedback mode, e.g., ACK / NACK, ACK only (with timer), dedicated signaling for pool usage (granted resources) Collision backoff (QoS) and / or collision resolution using explicit signaling to mute a user and prevent this user from accessing JRP resources for a period of time. Allows signaling to reactivate the user so that this user can use JRP resources again. - JRP utilization rate per UE, i.e., if there is no overlap (collision), detection can be easily performed without signaling. Otherwise, the JRP utilization rate per UE can be transmitted to neighboring UEs via a central entity (e.g., BS such as eNB) or D2D (e.g., PC5).

[0149] The signaling performed in 14 may be either dedicated resources, shared resource JRP (e.g., areas least likely to be affected by collisions), or a separate control signal channel. In some embodiments, a JRP collision backoff procedure for a specific UE or a group of UEs may be provided. In an embodiment, UEs may be ranked by QoS requirements. Using this, UEs may be prioritized using QoS classes. There is a possibility to define a mute signal. That is, a central entity or BS (e.g., eNB / gNB, core network entity) may send a mute signal via unicast to a specific UE or via multicast / broadcast to instruct a group of UEs to stop using JRP resources.

[0150] References herein provide specific functions and schemes that may be included in the above-described examples.

[0151] Numerology in 5G and New Radio (NR) communications defines multiple subcarrier spacings (SCS), e.g., 15, 30, 60, 120, ... This means that an SCS is generally 2^k * This means that the SCS is 15 kHz, where k=0, 1, 2, ... The 15 kHz SCS was the only spacing defined for LTE (4G).

[0152] The pilot power is used, for example, for channel estimation and channel quality indication. is the transmission power of the RS.

[0153] Bandwidth Parts (BWPs) are defined in NR, and every UE can support one or more BWPs of a transmission band, and a BWP can have one or more numerologies as defined above.

[0154] Radio Resource Management—Generally, UEs associated with a BS may compete for a limited set of resources. These resources can be allocated in the downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) to a set of selected UEs by a central entity or BS. The central entity or BS (e.g., 22, 22b) performing this resource allocation may be a scheduler or radio resource management (RRM). DL and / or UL resource allocation or resource maps can be both indicated or broadcast to all UEs on the DL control channel (PDCCH) using a downlink control indication (DCI) or using specific fields in the DL shared data channel (PDSCH), depending on the specific operating mode, which differs in the LTE and NR standards. Note that NR uses a self-contained frame structure, which allows data and signaling traffic to be more tightly packed for specific UEs receiving data. In the case of dynamic scheduling, RRM can allocate resources or uplink resource grants in every LTE or NR subframe or scheduling entity. The resources may be different frequency resources allocated within a certain time period, for example, several OFDM symbols (OS), a group of frequency resources or physical resource blocks (PRBs), PRBs allocated to different carriers (carrier aggregation), different physical links (such as dual connectivity), different resource pools, or direct communication between two UEs or devices (D2D), PRBs allocated to different radio access technologies (multi-RAT), resources allocated to different spatial degrees of freedom using advanced beamforming techniques (e.g., transmit antennas with beamforming).

[0155] Semi-Persistent Scheduling (SPS) - SPS [1] is a possibility to reduce control signaling traffic for resource grants. It can operate in the DL and / or UL directions. SPS schedules resources on a regular time grid, e.g., data packets allocated every 80 ms or 120 ms, which can reduce control traffic, for example, in Voice over IP (VoIP) services. In particular, if a constant packet size is used (e.g., depending on the VoIP codec), SPS and VoIP (e.g., with a constant bit rate and regular interval) can minimize the resources used for control signaling. SPS can be configured during the setup of radio (QoS) bearers. The SPS configuration can include information about the RRM cycle and is essentially a configuration template that can be activated, released, or modified while it is applied. In general, SPS in LTE is configured separately in: -Downlink (semi-persistent scheduling interval DL) and - Uplink (semi-persistent schedule interval UL) direction

[0156] The SPS configuration is described in TR36.331, "Radio resource control (RRC); protocol specification," and an example is shown below, where sf10 corresponds to 10 subframes and sf128 corresponds to 120 subframes. TIFF0007803366000001.tif63124

[0157] In 4G or 5G systems supporting short transmission time interval (sTTI) or URLLC services, the SPS interval can be further reduced to a value between 1-5 ms, as detailed in TR36.331.

[0158] HARQ Mechanism—Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) is a combination of high-rate forward error correction codes combined with repetition coding. The robustness of data transmissions can be improved by selectively retransmitting redundant information of data packets and by intelligently combining different versions of data packets at the receiver. HARQ can be combined with transmission acknowledgement messages (ACKs) upon successful reception of data packets, non-acknowledgement messages (NACKs) if data packets are received in error, and / or timers to reduce control traffic used for ACK signaling. Furthermore, the NACK traffic, in some embodiments, can indicate which redundancy version will be repeated in the next transmission.

[0159] Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC) - In addition to enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) data traffic, URLLC is an important use case supported by LTE releases (see, e.g., LTE Rel. 15) and NR technologies. URLLC provides low packet error rates (PERs), e.g., 10 -5While supporting PERs, the target is end-to-end resource transmission in 1 ms or less, e.g., 0.5 ms or 0.25 ms in NR. The URLLC use case is a scenario with a small packet size of several hundred bytes, e.g., 200 bytes, required for machine-type communication (MTC) scenarios. Note that in current LTE releases, end-to-end latency is typically limited by the HARQ processing timer (at least 4 ms delay until ACK / NACK is received) and the processing capabilities of current UE chipsets. To support URLLC, a combination of advanced RRM and new chip technology is essential. Furthermore, LTE Rel. 15 introduces a shortened frame structure (sTTI), while NR defines larger subcarrier scaling (SCS) and minislots (the NR counterpart to sTTI in LTE). Note that the mechanisms in LTE are limited due to backward compatibility with previous releases. Nevertheless, embodiments can target both LTE and NR technologies.

[0160] Uplink Grant-Free Access - This is a UL transmission scheme without uplink transmission grants designed for URLLC traffic. Resources can be allocated to one or more The resource configuration is not yet defined. This mode is particularly interesting for URLLC traffic because if the SPS interval is larger than the URLLC service requirements, for example, if the SPS interval is set to 120 ms and data can be transmitted within 1 ms, the UE does not need to wait for an UL resource grant or an UL SPS resource grant.

[0161] Device-to-Device (D2D) Communication—In this scheme, UEs communicate directly with other UEs using dedicated UL resources. D2D defines proximity services (ProSe), known as PC5, which allow devices (UEs) that are in close proximity to each other to detect each other and communicate directly with each other. The main advantages of D2D are reduced network load, increased capacity for a given bandwidth, and the ability to communicate in off-network areas. The latter is particularly important for special services, such as those used in public safety (PS) scenarios. When D2D communication occurs under network coverage, the base station allocates dedicated frequency blocks on the UL to be used as a resource pool for direct D2D PC5 communication. Resources can be shared in a centralized or distributed manner. In a centralized manner, a central entity (e.g., BS, eNB / gNB, core network entity) can allocate dedicated resources to UEs. In contrast, in a distributed mode, also known as autonomous mode, the UE randomly or after detection allocates free resources from the PC5 resource pool and transmits data. In vehicular communication, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) networks rely on SPS grants in each of the resource allocation modes [RP-161788, R2-162296].

[0162] 12 illustrates a system 120 that includes a processor 122 (which in some embodiments may be processor 42), which may perform at least one of the methods, steps, and / or actions described above and / or implement at least one of the devices, systems, and / or products described above. System 120 may include temporary memory 124 (random access memory RAM and / or registers). For example, tables 45 and 46 may be part of temporary memory 124 in some embodiments.

[0163] Additionally, system 120 may include a non-transitory memory unit 126 (e.g., implemented in read-only memory ROM, flash, firmware, etc.) containing instructions 126a that, when executed by a processor (e.g., processor 122 and / or 42), can cause the processor to perform at least one of the methods and / or actions described above and / or implement the functionality of the apparatus, products, and systems described above.

[0164] The system 120 may also include at least one input / output I / O unit 128 for communicating with other devices.

[0165] Reliability is for delivering packets (data) from sender to receiver within a given / selected / predefined time interval, e.g. 10 -3 In delivering message A within 100ms with a lower probability of outage, one may have a probability of error or outage below a given / selected / predefined level.

[0166] In an embodiment, the UE may be configured to achieve the required latency with the maximum acceptable failure probability and / or maximum reliability / durability of data communication.

[0167] In general, the embodiments may be implemented as a computer program product with program instructions operable to perform one of the methods when the computer program product is run on a computer. The program instructions may be stored, for example, on a machine-readable medium. It can be remembered.

[0168] Another example comprises the computer program for performing one of the methods described herein, stored on a machine readable carrier. In other words, an embodiment of a method is, therefore, a computer program having program instructions for performing one of the methods described herein, when the computer program runs on a computer.

[0169] A further example of a method is therefore a data carrier medium (or digital storage medium or computer readable medium) having recorded thereon a computer program for performing one of the methods described herein. A data carrier medium, digital storage medium or recording medium is tangible and / or non-volatile, rather than an intangible, transitory signal.

[0170] A further embodiment of a method is, therefore, a data stream or a sequence of signals representing the computer program for performing one of the methods described herein. A data stream or a sequence of signals may for example be transmitted over a data communication connection, for example the Internet.

[0171] A further embodiment comprises a processing means, for example a computer, or a programmable logic device, for performing one of the methods described herein.

[0172] A further embodiment comprises a computer having installed thereon the computer program for performing one of the methods described herein.

[0173] Further embodiments include an apparatus or system that transfers (e.g., electronically or optically) a computer program that performs one of the methods described herein to a receiver. The receiver can be, for example, a computer, a mobile device, a memory device, etc. The apparatus or system can, for example, comprise a file server that transfers the computer program to the receiver.

[0174] In some embodiments, a programmable logic device (e.g., a field programmable gate array) may be used to perform some or all of the functionality of the methods described herein. In some embodiments, a field programmable gate array may cooperate with a microprocessor to perform one of the methods described herein. In general, the methods may be performed by any suitable hardware apparatus.

[0175] The above-described embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles set forth above. It is understood that modifications and variations of the arrangements and details described herein will be apparent. It is therefore intended that the present invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims and not by the specific details set forth in the description and illustration of the embodiments herein.

[0176] Equivalent or equivalent elements, or elements having equivalent or equivalent functionality, are indicated in the following description by the same or equivalent reference numerals, even if they appear in different figures.

[0177] References [1] SPS-http: / / howltestuffworks.blogspot.de / 2013 / 10 / semi-persistent-scheduling.html [2] R1-1700024. "Support of URLLC in UL", Huawei, HiSilicon, Spokane, USA, Jan. 2017 [3] R1-1700375. "Uplink URLLC Transmission without Grant", Intel, Spokane, USA, Jan. 2017 [4] R1-1704481. "Discussions on HARQ for grant-free UL URLLC". Fujitsu, Spokane, USA, April

Claims

1. A user equipment, receiving configuration data from an external device for configuring the user equipment to access physical resources via a listen-before-talk scheme; transmitting data by accessing physical resources according to the listen-before-talk scheme, and, if a retransmission is required, using a specific physical resource granted to the user equipment for retransmitting the data after a back-off timer has elapsed; the back-off timer is determined randomly, semi-randomly, or pseudo-randomly; A user equipment configured to perform communications on another granted physical resource while waiting for the back-off timer to expire.

2. 10. The user equipment of claim 1, configured to not access the physical resource for a predetermined time upon receiving a mute signal.

3. The user equipment of claim 2 , configured to resume access to the physical resource upon receiving a reactivation signal.

4. 4. The user equipment of claim 1, configured to retransmit the data if it determines that an ACK has not been obtained within a threshold.

5. 5. A user equipment according to claim 1, configured to retransmit the data if informed by the external device that the data has been received in error and / or if a NACK message is received.

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