HARQ Feedback for Dynamic and Semi-Persistent Reception

Abstract

An apparatus and system are described that postpones hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback for semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmissions in a time domain duplexing (TDD) system. After an SPS PDSCH configuration is received indicating that SPS HARQ feedback postponement is enabled, a user equipment (UE) determines whether a PUCCH associated with the particular SPS PDSCH transmission can be transmitted in a valid uplink (UL) symbol. The PUCCH carries an SPS HARQ-ACK bit to acknowledge the particular SPS PDSCH transmission. If the PUCCH cannot be transmitted using the timing of the SPS PDSCH configuration, the transmission is postponed until the next valid opportunity for the PUCCH to be transmitted.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD Embodiments relate to next generation (NG) wireless communications. In particular, some embodiments relate to semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback transmission.

[0002] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 171,402, filed April 6, 2021, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. [Background technology]

[0003] New Radio (NR) wireless systems include fifth-generation (5G) networks and, in particular, are increasingly including sixth-generation (6G) networks. The use and complexity of New Radio (NR) wireless systems is growing due to both the increasing variety of devices (UEs) using network resources and the amount of data and bandwidth used by various applications, such as video streaming, running on these UEs. With the vast increase in the number and variety of communicating devices, the corresponding network environments are becoming increasingly complex, including routers, switches, bridges, gateways, firewalls, load balancers, and the like. As expected, the emergence of any new technology brings with it numerous challenges. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention provides an apparatus for a user equipment (UE), comprising: a processing circuit, Decode a message indicating a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmission from a fifth generation NodeB (gNB) in a time domain duplex (TDD) system; determining transmittability of a PUCCH associated with a particular SPS PDSCH transmission on a valid uplink (UL) symbol in a nominal PDSCH-to-HARQ feedback time gap, the PUCCH configured to carry SPS hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback to confirm the particular SPS PDSCH transmission; a processing circuit configured to, in response to determining that the PUCCH cannot be mapped to a valid UL symbol, postpone transmission of the SPS HARQ feedback to a valid UL opportunity after a nominal PDSCH-to-HARQ feedback time gap; and a memory configured to store a nominal PDSCH to HARQ feedback time gap. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0005] In the figures, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, the same numerals may represent similar components in different figures. The same numerals with different letter suffixes may represent different instances of similar components. The drawings generally illustrate by way of example, but not by way of limitation, various embodiments discussed herein.

[0006] [Figure 1A] 1 illustrates a network architecture according to some aspects. [Figure 1B] 1 illustrates a non-roaming 5G system architecture according to some embodiments. [Figure 1C] 1 illustrates a non-roaming 5G system architecture according to some embodiments. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communication device according to some embodiments. [Figure 3] 1 illustrates a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) with a deferred SPS HARQ ACK according to some aspects. [Figure 4]1 illustrates a flowchart of an SPS HARQ-ACK transmission according to some aspects. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The following description and drawings sufficiently illustrate particular embodiments to enable those skilled in the art to practice them. Other embodiments may incorporate structural, logical, electrical, process, and other changes. Portions and features of some embodiments may be included in or substituted for those of other embodiments. The claimed embodiments encompass all available equivalents of those claims.

[0008] 1A illustrates a network architecture according to some aspects. Network 140A includes 3GPP LTE / 4G and NG network functions that may be extended to 6G capabilities. Thus, while reference is made to 5G, it is understood that this is extended to potentially 6G structures, systems, and functions. Network functions may be implemented as individual network elements on dedicated hardware, and / or as software instances running on dedicated hardware, and / or as virtualized functions instantiated on a suitable platform, e.g., dedicated hardware or cloud infrastructure.

[0009] Network 140A is shown to include user equipment (UE) 101 and UE 102. UE 101 and 102 are illustrated as smartphones (e.g., handheld touchscreen mobile computing devices capable of connecting to one or more cellular networks), but may include any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as a portable (laptop) or desktop computer, a wireless handset, a drone, or any other computing device with a wired and / or wireless communication interface, etc. UE 101 and 102 may be collectively referred to herein as UE 101, which may be used to perform one or more of the techniques disclosed herein.

[0010] Any of the wireless links described herein (e.g., as used in network 140A or the other illustrated networks) may operate according to any exemplary wireless communication technology and / or standard. Any spectrum management scheme, including dedicated licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, (licensed) shared spectrum (such as Licensed Shared Access (LSA) at 2.3-2.4 GHz, 3.4-3.6 GHz, 3.6-3.8 GHz, and other frequencies, and Spectrum Access System (SAS) at 3.55-3.7 GHz and other frequencies), different single-carrier or orthogonal frequency-domain multiplexing (OFDM) modes (such as CP-OFDM, SC-FDMA, SC-OFDM, filter-bank-based multicarrier (FBMC), OFDMA, etc.), particularly 3GPP NR, may be used by assigning OFDM carrier data bit vectors to corresponding symbol resources.

[0011] In some aspects, either of the UEs 101 and 102 may comprise an Internet of Things (IoT) UE or a cellular IoT (CIoT) UE, which may include a network access layer designed for low-power IoT applications that utilize short-lived UE connections. In some aspects, either of the UEs 101 and 102 may comprise a narrowband (NB) IoT UE (e.g., an enhanced NB-IoT (eNB-IoT) UE and a further enhanced (FeNB-IoT) UE, etc.). The IoT UE may utilize technologies such as machine-to-machine (M2M) or machine-type communication (MTC) to exchange data with an MTC server or device via a public land mobile network (PLMN), proximity-based services (ProSe) or device-to-device communication (D2D), a sensor network, or an IoT network. The M2M or MTC data exchange may be machine-initiated data exchange. The IoT network includes interconnecting IoT UEs, which may include uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices (within the Internet infrastructure), over short-lived connections. The IoT UE may run background applications (e.g., keep-alive messages, status updates, etc.) to facilitate connectivity to the IoT network. In some aspects, any one of the UEs 101 and 102 may include an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE or a further enhanced MTC (FeMTC) UE.

[0012] The UEs 101 and 102 may be configured to connect, e.g., communicatively couple, to a radio access network (RAN) 110. The RAN 110 may be, for example, an Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), a NextGen RAN (NG RAN), or another type of RAN.

[0013] UEs 101 and 102 utilize connections 103 and 104, respectively, each of which constitutes a physical communication interface or layer (described in more detail below). In this example, connections 103 and 104 are illustrated as air interfaces that enable communication coupling. Connections 103 and 104 may be consistent with cellular communication protocols, such as a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) protocol, a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) network protocol, a Push-to-Talk (PTT) protocol, a PTT over Cellular (POC) protocol, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) protocol, a 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) protocol, a 5G protocol, a 6G protocol, etc.

[0014] In one aspect, the UEs 101 and 102 may further exchange communication data directly via the ProSe interface 105. The ProSe interface 105 may further be referred to as a sidelink (SL) interface that includes one or more logical channels, including, but not limited to, a physical sidelink control channel (PSCCH), a physical sidelink shared channel (PSSCH), a physical sidelink discovery channel (PSDCH), a physical sidelink broadcast channel (PSBCH), and a physical sidelink feedback channel (PSFCH).

[0015] The UE 102 is shown configured to access an access point (AP) 106 via a connection 107. The connection 107 may include a local wireless connection, such as a connection consistent with any IEEE 802.11 protocol. Accordingly, the AP 106 may include a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) router. In this example, the AP 106 is shown connected to the Internet, but not to a wireless system's core network (described in more detail below).

[0016] The RAN 110 may include one or more access nodes that enable the connections 103 and 104. These access nodes (ANs) may be referred to as base stations (BSs), NodeBs, evolved NodeBs (eNBs), next generation (5th or 6th generation) NodeBs (gNBs), RAN nodes, etc., and may include terrestrial stations (e.g., terrestrial access points) or satellite stations that provide coverage within a geographic region (e.g., a cell). In some aspects, the communication nodes 111 and 112 may be transmit / receive points (TRPs). When the communication nodes 111 and 112 are NodeBs (e.g., eNBs or gNBs), one or more TRPs may function within the communication cell of the NodeB. The RAN 110 may include one or more RAN nodes that provide macrocells, e.g., macro RAN node 111, and one or more RAN nodes that provide femtocells or picocells (e.g., cells having a smaller coverage area, smaller user capacity, or higher bandwidth compared to a macrocell), e.g., low power (LP) RAN node 112.

[0017] Any of the RAN nodes 111 and 112 may terminate air interface protocols and may be the first point of contact for the UEs 101 and 102. In some aspects, any of the RAN nodes 111 and 112 may perform various logical functions for the RAN 110. The logical functions may include, but are not limited to, radio network controller (RNC) functions, such as radio bearer management, uplink and downlink dynamic radio resource management and data packet scheduling, and mobility management. In one example, any of the nodes 111 and / or 112 may be a gNB, an eNB, or another type of RAN node.

[0018] The RAN 110 is shown communicatively coupled to a core network (CN) 120 via an S1 interface 113. In some aspects, the CN 120 may be an evolved packet core (EPC) network, a next-generation packet core (NPC) network, or another type of CN (e.g., as illustrated with reference to FIGS. 1B and 1C ). In this aspect, the S1 interface 113 is divided into two parts: an S1-U interface 114, which carries traffic data between the RAN nodes 111 and 112 and a serving gateway (S-GW) 122, and an S1 mobility management entity (MME) interface 115, which is a signaling interface between the RAN nodes 111 and 112 and an MME 121.

[0019] In this aspect, the CN 120 includes multiple MMEs 121, S-GWs 122, packet data network (PDN) gateways (P-GWs) 123, and a home subscriber server (HSS) 124. The MME 121 may have functionality similar to the control plane of a legacy Serving General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Support Node (SGSN). The MME 121 may manage access mobility aspects such as gateway selection and tracking area list management. The HSS 124 may include a database for network users containing subscription-related information that supports processing of communication sessions by network entities. The CN 120 may include one or more HSSs 124 depending on the number of mobile subscribers, device capabilities, network configuration, etc. For example, the HSS 124 may provide support for routing / roaming, authentication, authorization, naming / address resolution, location dependency, etc.

[0020] The S-GW 122 may terminate the S1 interface 113 towards the RAN 110. The S-GW 122 routes data packets between the RAN 110 and the CN 120. Additionally, the S-GW 122 may be a local mobility anchor point for inter-RAN node handovers and may also provide an anchor for inter-3GPP mobility. Other responsibilities of the S-GW 122 may include lawful interception, charging, and some policy enforcement.

[0021] The P-GW 123 may terminate the SGi interface toward the PDN. Via an Internet Protocol (IP) interface 125, the P-GW 123 may route data packets between the CN 120 and external networks, such as networks including an application server 184 (alternatively referred to as an application function (AF)). The P-GW 123 may also communicate data to other external networks 131A, which may include the Internet, an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IPS) network, and other networks. Generally, the application server 184 may be an element that provides applications that use IP bearer resources in conjunction with a core network (e.g., a UMTS packet service (PS) domain, an LTE PS data service, etc.). In this aspect, the P-GW 123 is shown communicatively coupled to the application server 184 via the IP interface 125. The application server 184 may also be configured to support one or more communication services (e.g., Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) sessions, PTT sessions, group communication sessions, social networking services, etc.) for the UEs 101 and 102 via the CN 120.

[0022] The P-GW 123 may further be a node for policy enforcement and charging data collection. The Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) 126 is the policy and charging control element of the CN 120. In some aspects, in a non-roaming scenario, there may be a single PCRF in a Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN) associated with the UE's Internet Protocol Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) session. In a roaming scenario with local breakout of traffic, there may be two PCRFs associated with the UE's IP-CAN session: a Home PCRF (H-PCRF) in the HPLMN and a Visited PCRF (V-PCRF) in a Visited Public Land Mobile Network (VPLMN). The PCRF 126 may be communicatively coupled to the application server 184 via the P-GW 123.

[0023] In some aspects, the communication network 140A may be an IoT network or a 5G or 6G network. 5G or 6G networks include 5G New Radio networks that use communication in licensed (5G NR) and unlicensed (5G NR-U) spectrum. One current implementation of IoT is narrowband IoT (NB-IoT). Operation in unlicensed spectrum may include dual connectivity (DC) operation and standalone LTE systems in unlicensed spectrum. According to standalone LTE systems, an LTE-based technology called MulteFire® operates exclusively in unlicensed spectrum without using a licensed spectrum "anchor." Future releases and 5G systems are expected to further enhance operation of LTE systems in both licensed and unlicensed spectrum. Such enhanced operation may include techniques for sidelink resource allocation and UE processing operations for NR sidelink V2X communications.

[0024] The NG system architecture (or 6G system architecture) may include a RAN 110 and a 5G Core Network (5GC) 120. The NG-RAN 110 may include multiple nodes, such as a gNB and an NG-eNB. The CN 120 (e.g., 5G Core Network / 5GC) may include an Access and Mobility Function (AMF) and / or a User Plane Function (UPF). The AMF and UPF may be communicatively coupled to the gNB and the NG-eNB via an NG interface. More specifically, in some aspects, the gNB and the NG-eNB may be connected to the AMF by an NG-C interface and to the UPF by an NG-U interface. The gNB and the NG-eNB may be coupled to each other via an Xn interface.

[0025] In some aspects, the NG system architecture may use reference points between various nodes. In some aspects, each of the gNB and NG-eNB may be implemented as a base station, a mobile edge server, a small cell, a home eNB, etc. In some aspects, in a 5G architecture, the gNB may be a master node (MN) and the NG-eNB may be a secondary node (SN).

[0026] 1B illustrates a non-roaming 5G system architecture according to some aspects. In particular, FIG. 1B illustrates a 5G system architecture 140B in a reference point representation, which may be extended to a 6G system architecture. More specifically, a UE 102 may communicate with one or more other 5G network entities in addition to the RAN 110. The 5G system architecture 140B includes multiple network functions (NFs), such as an AMF 132, a session management function (SMF) 136, a policy control function (PCF) 148, an application function (AF) 150, a UPF 134, a network slice selection function (NSSF) 142, an authentication server function (AUSF) 144, and a unified data management (UDM) / home subscriber server (HSS) 146.

[0027] The UPF 134 may provide connectivity to the data network (DN) 152, which may include, for example, operator services, Internet access, or third-party services. The AMF 132 may be used to manage access control and mobility and may further include a network slice selection function. The AMF 132 may provide UE-based authentication, authorization, mobility management, etc., and may be access technology independent. The SMF 136 may be configured to set up and manage various sessions according to network policies. Thus, the SMF 136 may be responsible for session management and assigning IP addresses to UEs. The SMF 136 may select and control the UPF 134 for data transfer. The SMF 136 may be associated with a single session of the UE 101 or with multiple sessions of the UE 101. That is, the UE 101 may have multiple 5G sessions. A different SMF may be assigned to each session. Using different SMFs may allow each session to be managed separately. As a result, the functionality of each session may be independent of each other.

[0028] The UPF 134 may be deployed in one or more configurations depending on the desired service type and may be connected to a data network. The PCF 148 may be configured to provide a policy framework using network slicing, mobility management, and roaming (similar to a PCRF in a 4G communication system). The UDM may be configured to store subscriber profiles and data (similar to an HSS in a 4G communication system).

[0029] The AF 150 may provide information about the packet flow to the PCF 148, which is responsible for policy control to support the desired QoS. The PCF 148 may set mobility and session management policies for the UE 101. To this end, the PCF 148 may use the packet flow information to determine appropriate policies for appropriate operation of the AMF 132 and the SMF 136. The AUSF 144 may store data for UE authentication.

[0030] In some aspects, the 5G system architecture 140B includes an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) 168B and multiple IP Multimedia Core Network subsystem entities, such as a Call Session Control Function (CSCF). More specifically, the IMS 168B includes a CSCF, which may function as a Proxy CSCF (P-CSCF) 162B, a Serving CSCF (S-CSCF) 164B, an Emergency CSCF (E-CSCF) (not shown in FIG. 1B), or an Interrogating CSCF (I-CSCF) 166B. The P-CSCF 162B may be configured to be the first point of contact for the UE 102 within the IM Subsystem (IMS) 168B. The S-CSCF 164B may be configured to handle session state within the network. The E-CSCF may be configured to handle certain aspects of the emergency session, such as routing the emergency request to the correct emergency center or PSAP. The I-CSCF 166B may be configured to act as a point of contact within the network of the network operator for all IMS connections destined for subscribers of that network operator or roaming subscribers currently within the network operator's service area. In some aspects, the I-CSCF 166B may be connected to another IP multimedia network 170B, e.g., an IMS operated by another network operator.

[0031] In some aspects, the UDM / HSS 146 may be coupled to an application server 160B, which may include a telephony application server (TAS) or another application server (AS). The AS 160B may be coupled to the IMS 168B via the S-CSCF 164B or the I-CSCF 166B.

[0032] The representation of the reference points indicates that there may be interactions between the corresponding NF services. For example, Figure 1B shows the following reference points: N1 (between the UE 102 and the AMF 132), N2 (between the RAN 110 and the AMF 132), N3 (between the RAN 110 and the UPF 134), N4 (between the SMF 136 and the UPF 134), N5 (between the PCF 148 and the AF 150 [not shown]), N6 (between the UPF 134 and the DN 152), N7 (between the SMF 136 and the PCF 148 [not shown]), N8 (between the UDM 146 and the AMF 132 [not shown]), N9 (between two UPFs 134, not shown), N10 (between the UDM 146 and the SMF 136 [not shown]), N11 (between the AMF 132 and the UPF 134 [not shown]), N12 (between the AMF 132 and the UPF 134 [not shown]), N13 (between the UPF 134 and the DN 152), N14 (between the SMF 136 and the PCF 148 [not shown]), N15 (between the UDM 146 and the AMF 132 [not shown]), N16 (between the UPF 134 and the DN 152), N17 (between the SMF 136 and the PCF 148 [not shown]), N18 (between the UDM 146 and the AMF 132 [not shown]), N19 (between two UPFs 134, not shown), N20 (between the UDM 146 and the SMF 1B shows N11 (between the PCF 148 and the AMF 132 and the SMF 136 [not shown]), N12 (between the AUSF 144 and the AMF 132 [not shown]), N13 (between the AUSF 144 and the UDM 146 [not shown]), N14 (between two AMFs 132, not shown), N15 (between the PCF 148 and the AMF 132 in a non-roaming scenario, or between the PCF 148, the visited network, and the AMF 132 in a roaming scenario, not shown), N16 (between two SMFs, not shown), and N22 (between the AMF 132 and the NSSF 142 [not shown]). Furthermore, other representations of reference points may be used that are not shown in FIG. 1B.

[0033] 1C illustrates a 5G system architecture 140C and a service-based representation. In addition to the network entities illustrated in FIG. 1B, the system architecture 140C may further include a network exposure function (NEF) 154 and a network repository function (NRF) 156. In some aspects, the 5G system architecture may be service-based, and interactions between network functions may be represented by corresponding point-to-point reference points N i or as service-based interfaces.

[0034] 1C , a service-based representation may be used to represent a network function in the control plane that allows other authorized network functions to access its services. In this regard, the 5G system architecture 140C may include the following service-based interfaces: Namf 158H (a service-based interface represented by the AMF 132), Nsmf 158I (a service-based interface represented by the SMF 136), Nnef 158B (a service-based interface represented by the NEF 154), Npcf 158D (a service-based interface represented by the PCF 148), Nudm 158E (a service-based interface represented by the UDM 146), Naf 158F (a service-based interface represented by the AF 150), Nnrf 158C (a service-based interface represented by the NRF 156), Nnssf 158A (a service-based interface represented by the NSSF 142), and Nausf 158G (a service-based interface represented by the AUSF 144). Additionally, other service-based interfaces (e.g., Nudr, N5g-eir, Nudsf) not shown in FIG. 1C may be used.

[0035] The NR V2X architecture can support reliable, low-latency sidelink communications with a variety of traffic patterns, including periodic and aperiodic communications with random packet arrival times and sizes. The techniques disclosed herein may be used to support high reliability in distributed communication systems with dynamic topologies, including sidelink NR V2X communication systems.

[0036] 2 illustrates a block diagram of a communications device according to some embodiments. Communications device 200 may be a UE, e.g., a dedicated computer, personal or laptop computer (PC), tablet PC, or smartphone, or an eNB running software to configure a server to operate as a network device, dedicated network equipment such as a server, or a virtual device, or any machine capable of executing instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be performed by the machine. For example, communications device 200 may be embodied as one or more of the devices shown in FIGS. 1A-1C. It should be noted that communications described herein may be encoded prior to transmission by a transmitting entity (e.g., UE, gNB) and decoded after receipt by the receiving entity (e.g., gNB, UE) for reception by the receiving entity.

[0037] As described herein, examples may include or operate on logic or multiple components, modules, or mechanisms. Modules and components are tangible entities (e.g., hardware) capable of performing specified operations and may be configured or arranged in a particular way. In one example, circuitry may be arranged (e.g., internally or with respect to external entities such as other circuits) as modules in a specified manner. In one example, all or part of one or more computer systems (e.g., standalone, client, or server computer systems) or one or more hardware processors may be configured by firmware or software (e.g., instructions, application portions, or applications) as modules that operate to perform specified operations. In one example, software may reside on a machine-readable medium. In one example, software, when executed by underlying hardware, causes the hardware to perform specified operations.

[0038] Accordingly, the term "module" (and "component") is understood to encompass tangible entities, such as those that are physically configured, specifically configured (e.g., hardwired), or temporarily (e.g., transiently) configured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a specified manner or to perform some or all of the operations described herein. Considering examples in which the modules are temporarily configured, each of the modules need not be instantiated at any one moment. For example, if the modules consist of a general-purpose hardware processor configured using software, the general-purpose hardware processor may be configured as each different module at different times. Accordingly, the software may configure the hardware processor, for example, to configure a particular module at one time and a different module at a different time.

[0039] The communications device 200 may include a hardware processor (or equivalently, processing circuitry) 202 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a GPU, a hardware processor core, or any combination thereof), a main memory 204, and a static memory 206, some or all of which may communicate with each other via an interlink (e.g., a bus) 208. The main memory 204 may include any or all of removable and non-removable storage devices, volatile memory, and / or non-volatile memory. The communications device 200 may further include a display device 210, such as a video display, an alphanumeric input device 212 (e.g., a keyboard), and a user interface (UI) navigation device 214 (e.g., a mouse). In one example, the display device 210, the input device 212, and the UI navigation device 214 may be touchscreen displays. Communications device 200 may further include a storage device (e.g., a drive) 216, a signal generation device 218 (e.g., a speaker), a network interface device 220, and one or more sensors, such as a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, a compass, an accelerometer, or other sensors. To communicate with or control one or more peripheral devices (e.g., a printer, a card reader, etc.), communications device 200 may further include an output controller, such as a serial (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB)), parallel, or other wired or wireless (e.g., infrared (IR), near field communication (NFC), etc.) connection.

[0040] Storage device 216 may include non-transitory machine-readable medium 222 (hereinafter simply machine-readable medium) on which are stored one or more sets of data structures or instructions 224 (e.g., software) that embody or are utilized in any one or more of the techniques or functions described herein. Further, instructions 224 may reside, completely or at least partially, within main memory 204, static memory 206, and / or within hardware processor 202 during execution thereof by communications device 200. While machine-readable medium 222 is illustrated as a single medium, the term "machine-readable medium" may include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and / or associated caches and servers) configured to store one or more instructions 224.

[0041] The term "machine-readable medium" may include any medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions that can be executed by communication device 200 and cause communication device 200 to perform any one or more of the techniques of this disclosure, or any medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying data structures used by or associated with such instructions. Non-limiting examples of machine-readable media may include solid-state memory, optical media, and magnetic media. Specific examples of machine-readable media may include non-volatile memory, such as semiconductor memory devices (e.g., EPROM (Electrically Programmable Read-Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory)) and flash memory devices, magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks and removable disks, magneto-optical disks, random access memory (RAM), CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks, and the like.

[0042] The instructions 224 may further be transmitted or received over a communications network using a transmission medium 226, i.e., via a network interface device 220 utilizing any one of several wireless local area network (WLAN) transport protocols (e.g., Frame Relay, Internet Protocol (IP), Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), etc.). Exemplary communications networks may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a packet data network (e.g., the Internet), a mobile telephone network (e.g., a cellular network), a plain old telephone service (POTS) network, and a wireless data network. Communications over the network may include one or more different protocols, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards known as Wi-Fi, the IEEE 802.16 family of standards known as WiMax®, the IEEE 802.15.4 family of standards, the Long Term Evolution (LTE) family of standards, the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) family of standards, peer-to-peer (P2P) networks, next generation (NG) / fifth generation (5G) standards, etc. In one example, the network interface device 220 may include one or more physical jacks (e.g., Ethernet, coaxial, or phone jacks) or one or more antennas for connecting to the transmission medium 226.

[0043] It should be noted that the term “circuitry” as used herein refers to, is a part of, or includes a hardware component, such as an electronic circuit, a logic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) and / or memory (shared, dedicated, or group), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable device (FPD) (e.g., a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic device (PLD), a complex PLD (CPLD), a high-capacity PLD (HCPLD), a structured ASIC, or a programmable SoC), a digital signal processor (DSP), or the like, configured to provide the described functionality. In some embodiments, a circuitry may execute one or more software or firmware programs to provide at least some of the described functionality. The term “circuitry” may also refer to a combination of one or more hardware elements (or a combination of circuitry used in an electrical or electronic system) and program code used to perform the functions of the program code. In these embodiments, the combination of hardware elements and program code may be referred to as a particular type of circuit.

[0044] Accordingly, as used herein, the term "processor circuitry" or "processor" refers to, is a part of, or includes circuitry that is capable of sequentially and automatically performing a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations, or recording, storing, and / or transferring digital data. The term "processor circuitry" or "processor" may refer to one or more application processors, one or more baseband processors, physical central processing units (CPUs), single or multi-core processors, and / or any other device capable of executing or otherwise operating computer-executable instructions, such as program code, software modules, and / or functional processes.

[0045] Any of the wireless links described herein may operate in accordance with any one or more of the following wireless communication technologies and / or standards, including, but not limited to, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) wireless communication technology, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) wireless communication technology, Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) wireless communication technology, and / or Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) wireless communication technologies, such as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Freedom of Multimedia Access (FOMA), 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE), 3GPP Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE Advanced), Code Division Multiple Access 2000 (CDMA2000), Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD), Mobitex®, Third Generation (3G), Circuit Switched Data (CSD), High Speed ​​Circuit Switched Data (HSCSD), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (3rd Generation) (UMTS (3G)), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) (W-CDMA® (UMTS)), High Speed ​​Packet Access (HSPA), High Speed ​​Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), High Speed ​​Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA), High Speed ​​Packet Access Plus (HSPA+), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System-Time Division Duplex (UMTS-TDD), Time Division Duplex-Code Division Multiple Access (TD-CDMA), Time Division-Synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA), 3GPP Rel. 8 (Pre-4G) (3rd Generation Partnership Project, Release 8 (Pre-4G)), 3GPP Rel.9 (3rd Generation Partnership Project, Release 9), 3GPP Rel.10 (3rd Generation Partnership Project, Release 10), 3GPP Rel.11 (3rd Generation Partnership Project, Release 11), 3GPP Rel.12 (3rd Generation Partnership Project, Release 12), 3GPP Rel.13 (3rd Generation Partnership Project, Release 13), 3GPP Rel.14 (3rd Generation Partnership Project, Release 14), 3GPP Rel.15 (3rd Generation Partnership Project, Release 15), 3GPP Rel.16 (3rd Generation Partnership Project, Release 16), 3GPP Rel.17 (3rd Generation Partnership Project, Release 17) and subsequent releases (Rel.18, Rel.19, etc.), 3GPP 5G, 5G, 5G New Radio (5G NR), 3GPP 5G New Radio, 3GPP LTE Extra, LTE-Advanced Pro, LTE Licensed-Assisted Access (LAA), MuLTEfire, UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (UTRA), Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA), Long Term Evolution Advanced (4th Generation) (LTE Advanced (4G)), cdmaOne (2G), Code Division Multiple Access 2000 (3rd Generation) (CDMA2000 (3G)), Evolution-Data Optimized or Evolution-Data Only (EV-DO), Advanced Mobile Telephone System (1st Generation) (AMPS (1G)), Total Access Communication System / Enhanced Total Access Communication System (TACS / ETACS), Digital AMPS (2nd Generation) (D-AMPS (2G)), Push-to-Talk (PTT), Mobile Telephone System (MTS), Improved Mobile Telephone System (IMTS), Advanced Mobile Telephone System (AMTS), OLT (Norwegian: Offentlig Landmobil Telefoni, public land mobile telephone), MTD (Swedish: Mobiltelefonisystem D, Mobile telephony system D), . Public Automatic Land Mobile (Autotel / PALM), ARP (Autoradiopuhelin in Finnish, "Automobile Radiotelephone"), NMT (Nordic Mobile Telephone), NTT (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone) High Capacity (Hicap), Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD), Mobitex, DataTAC, Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (iDEN), Personal Digital Cellular (PDC), Circuit Switched Data (CSD), PHS (Personal Handy-phone System), WiDEN (Wideband Integrated Digital Enhanced Network), iBurst®, UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) (also known as 3GPP Generic Access Network, GAN standard), Zigbee®, Bluetooth®, WiGig® (Wireless Gigabit Ethernet) Alliance) standards, mmWave standards in general (wireless systems operating at 10 to 300 GHz or above, such as WiGig, IEEE802.11ad, and IEEE802.11ay), technologies operating at 300 GHz and above the THz band (3GPP / LTE-based, IEEE802.11p, IEEE802.11bd, etc.), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-X (V2X), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), and infrastructure-to-vehicle (I2V) communication technologies, 3GPP cellular V2X, and DSRC (short-range communications) communication systems such as intelligent transportation systems (typically operating at 5850 MHz or 59 Operating above 25 MHz (typically up to 5935 MHz, following the proposed changes in CEPT Report 71), the European ITS-G5 system (i.e., the European flavor of IEEE 802.11p-based DSRC, including ITS-G5A (ITS-G5 operation in the European ITS frequency bands dedicated to safety-related applications in the frequency range 5875 GHz to 5905 GHz), ITS-G5B (ITS operation in the European ITS frequency bands dedicated to non-safety applications in the frequency range 5855 GHz to 5875 GHz), and ITS-G5C (ITS application operation in the frequency range 5470 GHz to 5725 GHz).), DSRC in the 700MHz band (including 715MHz or 725MHz) in Japan, and IEEE802.11bd-based systems.

[0046] The aspects described herein may be used in the context of any spectrum management scheme, including dedicated licensed spectrum, unlicensed spectrum, license-exempt spectrum, (licensed) shared spectrum (such as LSA = Licensed Shared Access in the frequency bands 2.3-2.4 GHz, 3.4-3.6 GHz, 3.6-3.8 GHz and above, and SAS = Spectrum Access System / CBRS = Citizens Broadband Radio System in the frequency bands 3.55-3.7 GHz and above). The applicable spectrum includes the following: IMT (International Mobile Telecommunications) spectrum, as well as other types of spectrum / bands, such as nationally allocated bands (450 to 470 MHz, 902 to 928 MHz (Note: allocated in the United States (FCC Part 15) etc.), 863 to 868.6 MHz (Note: allocated in the European Union (ETSI EN 300 220) etc.), 915.9 to 929.7 MHz (Note: allocated in Japan etc.), 917 to 923.5 MHz (Note: allocated in Korea etc.), 755 to 779 MHz and 779 to 787 MHz (Note: allocated in China etc.), 790 to 960 MHz, 1710 to 2025 MHz, 2110 to 2200 MHz, 2300 to 2400 MHz, 2.4 to 2.4835 GHz (Note: there are ISM bands available globally), Wi-Fi technology family (11b / g / n / ax and Bluetooth), 2500 to 2690 MHz, 698 to 790 MHz, 610 to 790 MHz, 3400 to 3600 MHz, 3400 to 3800 MHz, 3800 to 4200 MHz, 3.55 to 3.7 GHz (Note: Allocated to Citizens Broadband Wireless Service in the US), 5.15 to 5.25 GHz and 5.25 to 5.35 GHz, 5.47 to 5.725 GHz and 5.725 to 5.85 GHz (Note: Allocated to Citizens Broadband Wireless Service in the US (FCC The following bands are currently under consideration: 5.725 to 5.875 GHz (Note: Allocated in the EU (ETSI EN 301 893) etc., consisting of four U-NII bands out of a total of 500 MHz of spectrum); 5.725 to 5.875 GHz (Note: Allocated in the EU (ETSI EN 301 893) etc.); 5.47 to 5.65 GHz (Note: Allocated in South Korea etc.); 5925 to 7125 MHz; and 5925 to 6425 MHz (Note: Under consideration in the US and EU respectively. It should be noted that next-generation Wi-Fi systems are expected to include 6 GHz spectrum as an operating band, however, as of December 2017, Wi-Fi systems in this band are not yet permitted. The restrictions are expected to expire in the 2019-2020 timeframe.), IMT Advanced Spectrum, IMT-2020 spectrum (which is expected to include bands in the 3600-3800 MHz, 3800-4200 MHz, 3.5 GHz, 700 MHz, and 24.25-86 GHz bands), spectrum made available under the FCC's "Frequency Frontier" 5G initiative (27.5-28.35 GHz, 29.1-29.25 GHz, 31-31.3 GHz, 37-38.6 GHz, 38.6-40 GHz, 42-42.5 GHz, 57-64 GHz, 71-76 GHz, 81-86 GHz, etc.). 86 GHz, 92-94 GHz, etc.), the ITS (Intelligent Transport Systems) bands of 5.9 GHz (usually 5.85-5.925 GHz) and 63-64 GHz, WiGig Band 1 (57.24-59.40 GHz), WiGig Band 2 (59.40-61.56 GHz), WiGig Band 3 (61.56-63.72 GHz), WiGig Band 4 (63.72-65.88 GHz), 57-64 / 66 GHz (Note: This band has a near-global designation for Multi-Gigabit Wireless Systems (MGWS) / WiGig. In the United States (FCC A total of 14 GHz of spectrum has been allocated in the EU (ETSI EN 302 567 and ETSI EN 301 217-2 for fixed P2P), and a total of 9 GHz of spectrum has been allocated in the EU (ETSI EN 302 567 and ETSI EN 301 217-2 for fixed P2P), including bands currently allocated for automotive radar applications such as 70.2 GHz to 71 GHz, all bands from 65.88 GHz to 71 GHz, 76 to 81 GHz, and future bands including 94 to 300 GHz and above. Additionally, this method may also be used secondary in bands such as TV white space bands (typically below 790 MHz), with the 400 MHz and 700 MHz bands being particularly promising candidates. In addition to cellular applications, it may address specific applications for vertical markets such as PMSE (Program Production and Special Events), medical, health, surgery, automotive, low latency, and drone applications.

[0047] The aspects described herein may further implement hierarchical application of the scheme, e.g., by introducing hierarchical prioritization of usage for different types of users (e.g., low / medium / high priority, etc.) based on preferential access to spectrum, e.g., giving highest priority to Tier 1 users, followed by Tier 2, then Tier 3, etc. users.

[0048] The aspects described herein can further be applied to different single carrier or OFDM variants (CP-OFDM, SC-FDMA, SC-OFDM, Filter Bank Based Multi-Carrier (FBMC), OFDMA, etc.), particularly 3GPP NR (New Radio), by allocating OFDM carrier data bit vectors to corresponding symbol resources.

[0049] Some functions are defined for the network side, such as AP, eNB, NR, or gNB. It should be noted that the term "network side" is typically used in the context of 3GPP 5G and 6G communication systems, etc. Nevertheless, a UE may take on this role and act as an AP, eNB, or gNB. That is, some or all of the functions defined for the network equipment may be performed by the UE.

[0050] As mentioned above, with the advent of NR, the achievable latency and reliability performance of NR systems was extended from 4G systems to support more demanding use cases. To expand the applicability of NR in various vertical markets, Rel. 16 NR evolved to support use cases. These use cases include improvements to the use cases enabled in Rel. 15, including augmented reality / virtual reality (AR / VR), as well as the more demanding use cases of Rel. 16, such as factory automation, transportation, and power distribution. In Rel. 17, NR technology was enhanced to support Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications (URLLC), which enabled the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). One of its objectives is to enhance HARQ feedback from UEs.

[0051] In particular, enhancements to Rel. 17 are desired to configure systems to avoid dropping acknowledgments of SPS physical downlink shared channel transmissions (SPS HARQ ACKs) for time-domain duplexed (TDD) systems due to PUCCH collisions with at least one downlink (DL) or flexible symbol. Additional enhancements include SPS HARQ skipping for "skipped" SPS physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) transmissions, PUCCH repetition extension (at least for HARQ-ACKs), e.g., subslot-based retransmission of canceled HARQ transmissions, SPS HARQ payload size reduction and / or skipping for "non-skipped" SPS PDSCH transmissions, implementation of Type 1 HARQ codebooks based on subslot PUCCH configurations, and PUCCH carrier switching for HARQ feedback. Accordingly, a determination of whether a potential PUCCH (also referred to herein as a virtual PUCCH) deferral condition has occurred and processing of the SPS configuration order for deferral are described herein.

[0052] One of the challenges identified in Rel. 17 is reducing SPS HARQ-ACK transmission drops due to collisions with symbols designated for semi-statically or dynamically configured DL transmissions. In Rel. 15, it was assumed that uplink (UL) resources for HARQ feedback information could be adequately provisioned by the gNB, given a single SPS configuration per bandwidth part and a minimum SPS periodicity of 10 ms. However, in Rel. 16, DL SPS procedures were enhanced to allow multiple simultaneous DL SPS configurations (up to 8) and shorter periodicity (down to 1 slot), making it more difficult to provision SPS HARQ-ACK feedback resources without potentially resorting to PUCCH drops.

[0053] Potential solutions to this problem include postponing feedback to the next available opportunity and resubmitting dropped feedback, where postponing does not result in dropping. In some embodiments, it may be desirable to defer / postpone feedback to the next available opportunity, although several details are still open.

[0054] [Conditions under which SPS-HARQ is deferred]

[0055] There are two high-level approaches.

[0056] Approach 1: The deferral timing of the SPS HARQ-ACK can be calculated semi-statically and is therefore not dependent on dynamic changes in the scheduled uplink channel information (UCI). This approach can be considered in this specification as a semi-static recalculation of the k1 value for each PDSCH opportunity. The UE can utilize its processing power when determining the slot / subslot for the HARQ report immediately after SPS activation. On average, this approach can postpone feedback transmissions fewer times compared to dynamic deferral. Figure 3 illustrates a PUCCH with a postponed SPS HARQ ACK according to some aspects. In particular, the original semi-persistent PUCCH transmission cannot be transmitted, so it is delayed until a valid PUCCH can be transmitted.

[0057] Approach 2: The SPS HARQ-ACK deferral timing can be calculated based on both quasi-static conditions and dynamic triggers. In this case, dynamic deferral may result in more non-dropped feedback transmissions on average. However, this approach requires consideration of the UE processing timeline used to reconsider PUCCH / UCI construction based on dynamic deferral. In the case of missing DCI, the UE and gNB may not agree on the slot / subslot to use for deferral.

[0058] Approach 2 may handle more collision cases, but its complexity and potential impact of missing DCI may be problematic in some embodiments. Therefore, the postponement of the SPS HARQ-ACK may be determined solely semi-statically. For this reason, multiplexing with other dynamically scheduled UCI should not be considered when deciding to postpone feedback. To avoid dynamic conditions in the postponement process, this specification may thus rely only on checking the possibility of transmitting the SPS HARQ-ACK without multiplexing with other dynamic UCI.

[0059] In this case, various solutions are possible. In a first embodiment, in one embodiment, the UE decides that the SPS HARQ-ACK bit shall be postponed to the next available opportunity. This may be based on the UE determining that a potential PUCCH carrying the SPS HARQ-ACK bit cannot be mapped to a valid UL symbol of the slot / subslot pointed to by the current value of k1_current. k1_current is the initial k1 value or a modified k1 value (i.e., the slot / subslot time gap between the scheduled PDSCH and the corresponding UCI carrying the HARQ-ACK), and the modification of the k1 value by incrementing it by 1 occurs if a potential PUCCH cannot be mapped.

[0060] The potential PUCCH may be one or more of various options. In a first option, any PUCCH indicated by n1PUCCH-AN or SPS-PUCCH-AN-r16 for a particular maximum payload size may be used. n1PUCCH-AN is the PUCCH resource defined for SPS transmission for a single SPS configuration. SPS-PUCCH-AN-r16 is a list of PUCCH resources defined for multiple SPS configurations. The parameters n1PUCCH-AN and SPS-PUCCH-AN-r16 may be provided in the PUCCH-ConfigCommon information element of higher layer signaling, such as reconfiguration signaling or system information block 2 (SIB2) used for the RRC connection.

[0061] In a variation of the first option, the UE may assume the actual number of SPS HARQ-ACK bits when determining potential PUCCH resources from the PUCCH resource set. In another variation of the first option, the UE may assume that the SPS HARQ-ACK transmission is X bits, where X may be configured or determined by the UE based on deferred SPS HARQ-ACK feedback.

[0062] In a second option, for a particular maximum payload size, n1PUCCH-AN, or SPS-PUCCH-AN-r16, or any PUCCH indicated in PUCCH-ResourceSet may be used. In a variation of the second option, the UE may assume that the SPS HARQ-ACK transmission is X bits, where X may be configured or determined by the UE. In another variation of the second option, when considering PUCCH-ResourceSet, the UE may assume the actual number of SPS HARQ-ACK bits and a potential number Y of other UCI bits. The potential number Y of other UCI bits may be configured by radio resource control (RRC) signaling or predefined in this specification.

[0063] In a third option, a newly configured separate PUCCH resource set may be used for the SPS HARQ-ACK with deferral enabled. In this case, when deferral is enabled, the UE utilizes the separately configured PUCCH resource set for the deferred SPS HARQ-ACK transmission. In a variation of the third option, the UE may assume that the SPS HARQ-ACK transmission is X bits, where X may be configured by the network or determined by the UE based on the deferral process. In another variation of the third option, the UE may assume that the SPS HARQ-ACK transmission is only one bit, or may assume the actual number of SPS HARQ-ACK bits laid out in the slot / subslot according to the current iteration of the deferral procedure.

[0064] In the third option, potential PUCCH is not explicitly considered. The number of "L" valid UL symbols in a slot / subslot may be provided separately by the gNB. If the number of valid UL symbols in a slot / subslot indicated by k1_current is less than the predetermined or RRC configured value of L symbols, the UE decides that SPS HARQ shall be postponed for this slot / subslot.

[0065] The deferral procedures for different SPS HARQ feedback transmissions may be considered independently or in combination. In one embodiment, the UE does not expect the SPS PUCCH configuration for a given deferred payload of M bits to exceed the maximum payload associated with the provided PUCCH configuration. Alternatively, if the maximum payload exceeds the configured value for SPS HARQ-ACK transmission, the UE further postpones the last added SPS HARQ-ACK bit.

[0066] In relation to the above embodiment, the potential PUCCH resource set may include PUCCH resources of another component carrier. This may occur by appropriately configuring the UE with PUCCH resources on multiple component carriers. In one example, if a PUCCH resource cannot be mapped to the first carrier, the UE is expected to test the possibility of mapping the PUCCH to the second carrier.

[0067] [Postponement Sequence]

[0068] Additional rules may be used for how deferral should be performed when there are multiple SPS feedback transmissions for deferral consideration. For configuration "i", assume that the PDSCH opportunities are in slots {i_n, i_n+p, i_n+2*p, etc.}. For each PDSCH opportunity, the SPS HARQ feedback may be eligible for deferral.

[0069] In one example, the UE is not expected to defer feedback for the first earlier SPS PDSCH opportunity i_n to slot / subslot n+k1_deferred_1, i.e., to a slot / subslot after feedback for the second later PDSCH opportunity i_n+p, i.e., n+k1_deferred_1 is not expected to be greater than n+p+k1_deferred_2.

[0070] In another example, if a UE is configured with multiple SPS configurations and has a first configuration "i" on occasion {i_n,i_n+p1,i_n+2*p1, etc.} and a second configuration "j" on occasion {j_n,j_n+p2,j_n+2*p2, etc.}, it may not be expected for the UE to defer feedback of an earlier SPS PDSCH opportunity of any of the two configurations to a later slot / subslot than the deferred feedback of a later SPS PDSCH opportunity of any of the two configurations.

[0071] In yet another example, any M SPS HARQ-ACK bits for M SPS configurations with deferral enabled that are multiplexed on the same UCI before deferral are expected to be multiplexed on the same UCI after deferral. To determine the UCI payload size and code block (CB) size when the UE considers a given SPS HARQ feedback transmission to be deferred, the UE considers the corresponding SPS PDSCH opportunities in ascending order of configuration index and slot / subslot index within the window.

[0072] FIG. 4 thus illustrates a flowchart of an SPS HARQ-ACK transmission according to some aspects. In the method 400 of FIG. 4 , the UE may receive a message indicating an SPS PDSCH transmission at operation 402. The message may be, for example, a SIB including DCI with information, RRC signaling, or a PDCCH (or PDSCH). Accordingly, the gNB may configure the UE with an SPS PDSCH configuration indicating that HARQ feedback deferral is enabled. The gNB also configures the UE with a nominal PDSCH-to-HARQ feedback time gap (the time between the scheduled PDSCH and the corresponding UCI carrying the SPS HARQ-ACK). At operation 404, the UE may receive one or more SPS PDSCH transmissions scheduled by the message. At operation 406, the UE determines whether an SPS HARQ-ACK transmission for one or more SPS transmissions shall be deferred. That is, the UE next determines whether the potential PUCCH carrying the SPS HARQ feedback can be transmitted on a valid UL symbol using the nominal PDSCH-to-HARQ feedback time gap. If so, in operation 408, the UE determines when to transmit the deferred SPS HARQ-ACK transmission(s). In operation 410, the UE transmits the SPS HARQ-ACK transmission at the appropriate time, with or without deferral, i.e., regardless of whether the SPS HARQ-ACK transmission was deferred. That is, in response to determining that the potential PUCCH cannot be mapped onto a valid UL symbol, the UE can postpone the transmission of the SPS HARQ feedback to the next valid opportunity.

[0073] While the embodiments have been described with reference to certain exemplary embodiments, it will be apparent that various modifications and variations may be made thereto without departing from the broader scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be considered in an illustrative and not a restrictive sense. The accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, show, by way of example, and not of limitation, specific embodiments in which the subject matter may be practiced. The illustrated embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the teachings disclosed herein. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived from the teachings, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of various embodiments is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

[0074] Subject matter may be referred to individually and / or collectively herein by the term "embodiment" for convenience only, and no attempt is made to intentionally limit the scope of this application to any single inventive concept when more than one inventive concept is actually disclosed. Accordingly, although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it is to be understood that any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiment illustrated. The present disclosure is intended to cover any adaptations or modifications of the various embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments, as well as other embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the above description.

[0075] As is common in patent documents, the terms "a" or "an" are used herein to include one or more than one, independently of other instances or uses of "at least one" or "one or more." The term "or" is used herein to refer to a non-exclusive or, unless otherwise noted, such that "A or B" includes "A but not B," "B but not A," and "A and B." The terms "comprise" and "in" are used herein as the plain-English equivalents of "comprising" and "in," respectively. Also, in the following claims, the terms "comprise" and "comprising" are open-ended. That is, a system, UE, article, composition, formulation, or process containing elements in addition to the elements recited after the term in the claim is still considered to be within the scope of the claim. Furthermore, in the following claims, terms such as "first," "second," and "third" are used merely as labels and are not intended to dictate numerical requirements to their subject matter.

[0076] This Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to comply with 37 CFR §1.72(b), which requires an abstract that will allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. This Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the claims or their meaning. Moreover, in the foregoing Detailed Description, various features are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Accordingly, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description of the Invention, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.

Claims

1. 1. An apparatus for a user equipment (UE) including processing circuitry and a memory: The processing circuitry decodes a message from a fifth generation NodeB (gNB) enabling reception of a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) for time domain duplex (TDD) operation; determining that a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource for a PUCCH transmission with an SPS hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information bit for a particular SPS PDSCH reception to be reported during a first time period overlaps with a downlink resource; configured to postpone transmission of the SPS HARQ-ACK information bit until an earliest slot after the PUCCH resource in response to determining that the PUCCH resource overlaps with the downlink resource; the memory is configured to store the SPS HARQ-ACK information bits; the processing circuitry is configured to decode a radio resource control (RRC) signal from the gNB, the RRC signal including an information element (IE) that sets a maximum payload size for the PUCCH resource; and if a PUCCH resource for a PUCCH transmission with an SPS HARQ-ACK information bit for the particular SPS PDSCH reception exceeds the maximum payload size, further postpone transmission of the SPS HARQ-ACK information bit.

2. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to decode an indication from the gNB that deferral of the SPS HARQ-ACK information bit is enabled.

3. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to decode a radio resource control (RRC) signal from the gNB, the RRC signal including an SPS-PUCCH-AN-List information element (IE) indicating the PUCCH resources.

4. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to decode a radio resource control (RRC) signal from the gNB, the RRC signal including an n1PUCCH-AN information element (IE) indicating the PUCCH resource.

5. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to multiplex HARQ-ACK information bits that include the SPS HARQ-ACK information for transmission with another PUCCH transmission in an earliest slot after the PUCCH resource.

6. 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the SPS HARQ-ACK information bits correspond to an SPS PDSCH configuration for which deferral is enabled.

7. 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the earliest slot among slots corresponding to the SPS PDSCH configuration for transmission in the another PUCCH transmission.

8. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the PUCCH transmission from any PUCCH transmission indicated by n1PUCCH-AN or SPS-PUCCH-AN-r16 for a particular maximum payload size; The device, wherein n1PUCCH-AN is a PUCCH resource for SPS transmission for a single SPS configuration, and SPS-PUCCH-AN-r16 is a list of PUCCH resources for multiple SPS configurations.

9. 10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to assume an actual number of HARQ-ACK information bits to determine a PUCCH resource for the PUCCH transmission from a PUCCH resource set.

10. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry:

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the PUCCH transmissions associated with different SPS PDSCH transmissions are each unable to be transmitted in a respective available UL opportunity, and wherein a respective SPS HARQ-ACK information bit for each of the SPS PDSCH transmissions is to be postponed.

11. 10. The device of claim 1 : the processing circuitry is configured to decode a plurality of SPS PDSCH configurations from the gNB indicating that deferral of the SPS HARQ-ACK information bit is enabled; The processing circuitry, for each of the SPS PDSCH configurations:

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is configured to: determine that a plurality of PUCCH transmissions associated with different SPS PDSCH transmissions of the SPS PDSCH configuration cannot each be transmitted in a respective available UL opportunity; and that a respective SPS HARQ-ACK information bit for each of the SPS PDSCH transmissions should be postponed.

12. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry: decoding, from the gNB, a plurality of SPS PDSCH configurations indicating that deferral of the SPS HARQ-ACK information bit is enabled; 11. An apparatus configured to multiplex SPS HARQ-ACK information bits for SPS PDSCH transmissions of a plurality of the SPS PDSCH configurations in uplink control information (UCI).

13. 1. An apparatus for a fifth generation NodeB (gNB) including processing circuitry and a memory: The processing circuitry encodes a message enabling reception of a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) for time domain duplex (TDD) operation; configured to decode a Physical Uplink Control Channel (PUCCH) transmission from a UE that includes an SPS Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request-Acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information bit, the PUCCH transmission being deferred from a PUCCH resource for a particular SPS PDSCH reception to be reported during a first time period that overlaps with a downlink resource to an earliest slot after the PUCCH resource; the memory is configured to store the SPS HARQ-ACK information bits; the processing circuitry is configured to signal to the UE a radio resource control (RRC) signal including an information element (IE) that sets a maximum payload size of the PUCCH resources, and if a PUCCH resource for a PUCCH transmission including an SPS HARQ-ACK information bit for the particular SPS PDSCH reception exceeds the maximum payload size, the PUCCH transmission including the SPS HARQ-ACK information bit is further postponed.

14. 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to encode an indication for transmission to the UE that deferral of the SPS HARQ-ACK information bit is enabled.

15. 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to encode a radio resource control (RRC) signal including at least one of an SPS-PUCCH-AN-List information element (IE) or an n1PUCCH-AN IE indicating the PUCCH resources for transmission to the UE.

16. 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the HARQ-ACK information bits include multiplexed HARQ-ACK information bits corresponding to SPS PDSCH configurations for which deferral is enabled.

17. to one or more processors of a user equipment (UE): Decode a message from a fifth generation NodeB (gNB) enabling reception of a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) for time domain duplex (TDD) operation; determining that a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) resource for a PUCCH transmission with an SPS hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) information bit for a particular SPS PDSCH reception to be reported during a first time period overlaps with a downlink resource; 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining whether the PUCCH resource overlaps with the downlink resource; and determining whether the PUCCH resource overlaps with the downlink resource; and determining whether the PUCCH resource overlaps with the downlink resource and the PUCCH resource overlap; 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining whether the PUCCH resource overlaps with the downlink resource and the PUCCH resource overlap; 12. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining whether the PUCCH resource overlaps with the downlink resource and the PUCCH resource overlap; 13. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining whether the PUCCH resource overlaps with the downlink resource and the PUCCH resource overlap;

18. 18. The computer program of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors, when executed, are configured to decode an indication from the gNB that deferral of the SPS HARQ-ACK information bit is enabled.

19. 18. The computer program of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors, when executed, are configured to decode a radio resource control (RRC) signal from the gNB, the RRC signal including at least one of an SPS-PUCCH-AN-List information element (IE) or an n1PUCCH-AN IE indicating the PUCCH resources.

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