System and method for extending the effective range of communication in non-terrestrial networks

Abstract

A system and method for communication coverage extension in a non-terrestrial based network (NTN) is presented. A wireless communication device may determine a set of one or more resources to use to indicate information for a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) repetition of a msg4 hybrid automatic repeat request-acknowledgement (HARQ-ACK) transmission. The wireless communication device may send a msg1 transmission to a wireless communication node using the set of one or more resources to indicate information for the PUCCH repetition.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to wireless communication including, but not limited to, systems and methods for extending the communication range in non-terrestrial networks (NTN).

Background Art

[0002] The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP (registered trademark)), a standardization body, is currently promoting the definition of a new radio interface called 5G New Radio (5G NR) and a next-generation packet core network (NG-CN or NGC). 5G NR has three main components: a 5G access network (5G-AN), a 5G core network (5GC), and a user equipment (UE). To facilitate the activation of different data services and requirements, the elements of the 5GC, also called network functions, are simplified, some of which are software-based and some are hardware-based, and thus can be adapted as needed.

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0003] The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are directed to solving problems related to one or more problems presented in the prior art and providing further features that will be readily apparent by reference to the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. According to various embodiments, exemplary systems, methods, devices, and computer program products are disclosed herein. However, these embodiments are presented by way of example and not limitation, and as will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure, various modifications to the disclosed embodiments (including, for example, combining features from various disclosed examples, embodiments, and / or implementations) can be made within the scope of this disclosure.

[0004] At least one aspect relates to the following systems, methods, apparatus, or computer-readable media: A wireless communication device (e.g., UE) may determine one or more sets of resources to be used to indicate information (e.g., request or support) for a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) iteration of a msg4 hybrid auto-retransmit request acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) transmission. The wireless communication device may transmit a msg1 transmission to a wireless communication node (e.g., BS) using one or more sets of resources to indicate information for a PUCCH iteration. The information for a PUCCH iteration may include at least one of a request for a PUCCH iteration of a msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission, or support for a PUCCH iteration of a msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission.

[0005] In some embodiments, a wireless communication device may receive from a wireless communication node, in response to a msg1 transmission, an instruction for the number of repetitions for a PUCCH repetition or an acknowledgment to support a PUCCH repetition. The wireless communication device may determine (e.g., select) the number of repetitions for a PUCCH repetition from a plurality of candidate repetition numbers. This determination (e.g., selection) allows the wireless communication node to perform a blind detection for the PUCCH repetition.

[0006] In some embodiments, a wireless communication device may transmit a msg1 transmission using one or more sets of resources to indicate or recommend a number of repetitions to a wireless communication node. One or more sets of resources may correspond to a number of repetitions. Other sets of resources may correspond to different numbers of repetitions.

[0007] In some embodiments, a wireless communication device (e.g., a UE) may determine at least one number of iterations. The wireless communication device may transmit the number of iterations to a wireless communication node (e.g., a BS / network) via msg3 transmission.

[0008] In some embodiments, the determination of at least one number of iterations may be selected from a predetermined value or from at least one candidate value received from a wireless communication node. The wireless communication device may receive confirmation from the wireless communication node to support PUCCH iterations.

[0009] In some embodiments, a wireless communication device may receive instructions or acknowledgments from a wireless communication node via at least one of the following: a System Information Block (SIB) signal, a Master Information Block (MIB) signal, a msg2 transmission, or a Downlink Control Information (DCI) signal transmission for msg4. The wireless communication device may receive configurations of one or more candidate iteration counts from a wireless communication node via at least one of the following: a System Information Block (SIB) signal transmission, a Master Information Block (MIB) signal transmission, a msg2 transmission, or a Downlink Control Information (DCI) signal transmission for msg4. Depending on the cell type or network type, the wireless communication device may determine at least one of the following: configurations of one or more candidate iteration counts, instructions for the number of iterations for PUCCH iterations, or acknowledgments to support PUCCH iterations.

[0010] In some embodiments, a wireless communication device (e.g., UE) may transmit a msg3 transmission to a wireless communication node (e.g., BS) requesting demodulated reference signal (DMRS) bundling. The wireless communication device may transmit a msg4 hybrid automatic retransmission request acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) transmission to the wireless communication node with DMRS bundling. The msg3 transmission may include a 1-bit value indicating the request for DMRS bundling. The time window for DMRS bundling may be less than or equal to the segment length for pre-compensation. The wireless communication device may receive the segment length configuration from the wireless communication node via system information block (SIB) signal transmission.

[0011] In some embodiments, a wireless communication node (e.g., BS) may receive a msg1 transmission from a wireless communication device (e.g., UE) using a set of one or more resources. The use of a set of one or more resources may indicate information (e.g., request or support) for a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) iteration of a msg4 hybrid auto retransmission request acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) transmission.

[0012] In some embodiments, a wireless communication node (e.g., BS) may transmit a configuration including multiple candidate iteration counts to a wireless communication device (e.g., UE). The wireless communication node may receive a number of iterations selected from the multiple candidate iteration counts from the wireless communication device.

[0013] In some embodiments, a radio communication node (e.g., BS) may receive a msg3 transmission from a radio communication device (e.g., UE) requesting demodulated reference signal (DMRS) bundling. The radio communication node may also receive a msg4 hybrid automatic retransmission request acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) transmission from the radio communication device using the DMRS bundling. The present invention provides, for example, the following: (Item 1) A method, wherein the said method is The wireless communication device determines one or more sets of resources to be used to indicate information for physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) iterations of msg4 hybrid automatic retransmission request acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) transmission, The wireless communication device uses the set of one or more resources to transmit an msg1 transmission to the wireless communication node to indicate the information for the PUCCH iteration. Methods that include... (Item 2) The information for the PUCCH iteration is, Request for PUCCH repetition of msg4HARQ-ACK transmission, or Support for PUCCH repetition in msg4HARQ-ACK transmission The method described in item 1, comprising at least one of the following: (Item 3) The method according to item 1, wherein the wireless communication device receives from the wireless communication node, in response to the msg1 transmission, an instruction for the number of repetitions for the PUCCH repetition or an acknowledgment to support the PUCCH repetition. (Item 4) The method according to item 1, comprising determining the number of iterations for the PUCCH iteration from a plurality of candidate iteration numbers using the wireless communication device. (Item 5) The wireless communication device includes using one or more sets of resources to transmit the msg1 transmission to the wireless communication node to indicate or recommend an iteration number to the wireless communication node, The method according to item 1, wherein the set of one or more resources corresponds to the number of iterations, and the other set of one or more resources corresponds to a different number of iterations. (Item 6) A method, wherein the said method is The wireless communication device determines at least one number of iterations, The wireless communication device transmits the number of iterations to the wireless communication node via msg3 transmission. Methods that include... (Item 7) The determination of the number of at least one iteration is, From a predetermined value; or Selected from at least one candidate value received from the aforementioned wireless communication node. One of them is the method described in item 6. (Item 8) The method according to item 6, comprising the wireless communication device receiving confirmation from the wireless communication node to support the PUCCH iteration. (Item 9) The method according to item 3 or 8, wherein the wireless communication device receives the instruction or acknowledgment from the wireless communication node via at least one of a system information block (SIB) signal, a master information block (MIB) signal, msg2 transmission, or downlink control information (DCI) signal transmission for msg4. (Item 10) The method according to item 1 or 6, wherein the wireless communication device receives from the wireless communication node a configuration of one or more iteration candidate numbers via at least one of system information block (SIB) signal transmission, master information block (MIB) signal transmission, msg2 transmission, or downlink control information (DCI) signal transmission for msg4. (Item 11) According to the aforementioned wireless communication device, Configuration of one or more candidate iterations, The instruction for the number of repetitions for the PUCCH iteration, or Verification to support the aforementioned PUCCH iteration The method described in item 1 or 6, which includes determining at least one of the following. (Item 12) A method, wherein the said method is The wireless communication device transmits a msg3 transmission to the wireless communication node to request demodulation reference signal (DMRS) bundling, The wireless communication device transmits a msg4 hybrid automatic retransmission request acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) transmission using the DMRS bundling to the wireless communication node. Methods that include... (Item 13) The method according to item 12, wherein the msg3 transmission includes a 1-bit value indicating the request for DMRS bundling. (Item 14) The method according to item 12, wherein the time window for DMRS bundling is less than or equal to the segment length for pre-compensation. (Item 15) The method according to item 14, wherein the wireless communication device receives the configuration of the segment length from the wireless communication node via system information block (SIB) signal transmission. (Item 16) A method, wherein the said method is The wireless communication node includes receiving a msg1 transmission from a wireless communication device using one or more sets of resources, The use of the set of one or more resources is a method for providing information for physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) iterations of msg4 hybrid automatic retransmission request acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) transmission. (Item 17) A method, wherein the said method is The wireless communication node transmits a configuration with multiple candidate iteration counts to the wireless communication device, The wireless communication node receives the number of iterations selected from the plurality of candidate iterations from the wireless communication device. Methods that include... (Item 18) A method, wherein the said method is A wireless communication node receives a msg3 transmission from a wireless communication device requesting demodulation reference signal (DMRS) bundling, The wireless communication node receives a msg4 hybrid automatic retransmission request acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) transmission using the DMRS bundling from the wireless communication device. Methods that include... (Item 19) A non-temporary computer-readable medium storing instructions, wherein, when executed by at least one processor, the instructions cause the at least one processor to perform the method described in any one of items 1 to 18. (Item 20) A device comprising at least one processor configured to perform the method described in any one of items 1 through 18. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] Various exemplary embodiments of this solution are described in detail below with reference to the following figures or drawings. The drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and merely depict exemplary embodiments of the solution to facilitate the reader's understanding of it. Therefore, the drawings should not be considered to limit the scope, extent, or applicability of the solution. Note that these drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale in order to make the illustration clear and easy.

[0015] [Figure 1] An example of a cellular communication network in which the technologies disclosed herein may be implemented according to embodiments of this disclosure is shown.

[0016] [Figure 2] The following are block diagrams of examples of base stations and user equipment devices according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0017] [Figure 3] Examples of non-terrestrial networks (NTN) according to several embodiments of this disclosure are shown.

[0018] [Figure 4]This disclosure shows a flowchart for extending the effective communication range in a non-terrestrial network (NTN) according to one embodiment of this disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0019] (1. Mobile communication technology and environment) Figure 1 shows an exemplary wireless communication network and / or system 100 in which the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented according to embodiments of the present disclosure. In the following description, the wireless communication network 100 may be any wireless network, such as a cellular network or a narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) network, and will be referred to herein as “Network 100”. Such exemplary Network 100 includes base stations 102 (hereinafter “BS102,” also called wireless communication nodes) and user equipment devices 104 (hereinafter “UE104,” also called wireless communication devices) that can communicate with each other via communication links 110 (e.g., wireless communication channels), and clusters of cells 126, 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 overlapping geographical area 101. In Figure 1, BS102 and UE104 are contained within the respective geographical boundaries of cell 126. Each of the other cells 130, 132, 134, 136, 138, and 140 may include at least one base station operating within its allocated bandwidth to provide an adequate radio communication range to the intended users.

[0020] For example, BS102 may operate within an allocated channel transmit bandwidth to provide UE104 with an appropriate effective communication range. BS102 and UE104 may communicate via downlink radio frames 118 and uplink radio frames 124, respectively. Each radio frame 118 / 124 may be further divided into subframes 120 / 127, which may contain data symbols 122 / 128. In this disclosure, BS102 and UE104 are described herein as non-limiting examples of “communication nodes” that can generally practice the methods disclosed herein. Such communication nodes may be capable of performing wireless and / or wired communications according to various embodiments of this solution.

[0021] Figure 2 shows a block diagram of an exemplary wireless communication system 200 for transmitting and receiving wireless communication signals (e.g., OFDM / OFDMA signals) according to several embodiments of the present solution. System 200 may include components and elements configured to support known or conventional operating features that do not need to be described in detail herein. In one exemplary embodiment, system 200 may be used to communicate (e.g., transmit and receive) data symbols in a wireless communication environment such as the wireless communication environment 100 in Figure 1, as described above.

[0022] System 200 generally includes a base station 202 (hereinafter, "BS202") and a user equipment device 204 (hereinafter, "UE204"). BS202 includes a BS (base station) transceiver module 210, a BS antenna 212, a BS processor module 214, a BS memory module 216, and a network communication module 218, each module being coupled and interconnected to one another as needed via a data communication bus 220. UE204 includes a UE (user equipment) transceiver module 230, a UE antenna 232, a UE memory module 234, and a UE processor module 236, each module being coupled and interconnected to one another as needed via a data communication bus 240. BS202 communicates with UE204 via a communication channel 250, which may be any radio channel or other medium suitable for data transmission as described herein.

[0023] As will be understood by those skilled in the art, System 200 may further include any number of modules other than those shown in Figure 2. Those skilled in the art will understand that various exemplary blocks, modules, circuits, and processing logic described in relation to the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented in hardware, computer-readable software, firmware, or any practical combination thereof. To clearly demonstrate this compatibility and suitability of hardware, firmware, and software, various exemplary components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are described holistically with respect to their function. Whether such function is implemented as hardware, firmware, or software may depend on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the system as a whole. Those familiar with the concepts described herein may implement such function in a manner appropriate to each specific application, but such implementation decisions should not be construed as limiting the scope of this disclosure.

[0024] According to some embodiments, the UE transceiver 230 may be referred herein as an “uplink” transceiver 230, comprising a radio frequency (RF) transmitter and an RF receiver, each having a circuit coupled to antenna 232. A duplex switch (not shown) may, alternatively, couple the uplink transmitter or receiver to the uplink antenna in a time-duplex manner. Similarly, according to some embodiments, the BS transceiver 210 may be referred herein as a “downlink” transceiver 210, comprising an RF transmitter and an RF receiver, each having a circuit coupled to antenna 212. A downlink duplex switch may, alternatively, couple the downlink transmitter or receiver to the downlink antenna 212 in a time-duplex manner. The operation of the two transceiver modules 210 and 230 may be time-coordinated so that the downlink transmitter is coupled to the downlink antenna 212 at the same time that the uplink receiver circuit is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 for receiving transmissions over the radio transmit link 250. Conversely, the operation of the two transceivers 210 and 230 can be time-coordinated so that the uplink transmitter is coupled to the uplink antenna 232 at the same time that the downlink receiver is coupled to the downlink antenna 212 for receiving transmissions over the radio transmit link 250. In some embodiments, there is a cutoff time synchronization with a minimum guard time between changes in duplex direction.

[0025] The UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to communicate via a radio data communication link 250 and to cooperate with appropriately configured RF antenna equipment 212 / 232 capable of supporting specific radio communication protocols and modulation schemes. In some exemplary embodiments, the UE transceiver 210 and the base station transceiver 210 are configured to support industry standards such as Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and emerging 5G standards. However, it should be understood that this disclosure is not necessarily limited to application to specific standards and associated protocols. Rather, the UE transceiver 230 and the base station transceiver 210 may be configured to support alternative or additional radio data communication protocols, including future standards or variations thereof.

[0026] According to various embodiments, BS202 may be, for example, an evolved node B (eNB), a serving eNB, a target eNB, a femtostation, or a picostation. In some embodiments, UE204 may be embodied in various types of user devices such as mobile phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablets, laptop computers, and wearable computing devices. Processor modules 214 and 236 may be implemented or realized using general-purpose processors, content-addressable memory, digital signal processors, application-specific integrated circuits, field-programmable gate arrays, any suitable programmable logic devices, individual gate or transistor logic, individual hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. Thus, the processor may be realized as a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, state machine, etc. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a digital signal processor and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a digital signal processor core, or any other such configuration.

[0027] Furthermore, steps of methods or algorithms described in relation to embodiments disclosed herein can be directly embodied in hardware, firmware, software modules each executed by processor modules 214 and 236, or any practical combination thereof. Memory modules 216 and 234 can be implemented as RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disks, removable disks, CD-ROMs, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. In this regard, memory modules 216 and 234 can be coupled to processor modules 210 and 230, respectively, so that processor modules 210 and 230 can read information from and write information to memory modules 216 and 234, respectively. Memory modules 216 and 234 may also be integrated into processor modules 210 and 230, respectively. In some embodiments, each of memory modules 216 and 234 may include a cache memory for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during the execution of instructions executed by processor modules 210 and 230, respectively. Each of the memory modules 216 and 234 may also include non-volatile memory for storing instructions executed by the processor modules 210 and 230, respectively.

[0028] The network communication module 218 generally represents the hardware, software, firmware, processing logic, and / or other components of the base station 202 that enable bidirectional communication between the base station transceiver 210 and other network components and communication nodes configured to communicate with the base station 202. For example, the network communication module 218 may be configured to support Internet or WiMAX traffic. In a typical configuration, but not limited to, the network communication module 218 provides an 802.3 Ethernet® interface so that the base station transceiver 210 can communicate with a conventional Ethernet®-based computer network. Thus, the network communication module 218 may include a physical interface for connecting to a computer network (e.g., a mobile communications exchange (MSC)). As used herein with respect to a specified operation or function, the terms “configured for,” “configured to,” and their inflections refer to a device, component, circuit, structure, machine, signal, etc., that is physically configured, programmed, formatted, and / or arranged to perform a specified operation or function.

[0029] The Open System Interconnection (OSI) model (hereinafter referred to as the “Open System Interconnection Model”) is a conceptual and logical layout that defines network communications used by systems (e.g., wireless communication devices, wireless communication nodes) that are open to interconnection and communication with other systems. The model is divided into seven subcomponents or layers, each of which represents a conceptual set of services provided to the layers above and below it. The OSI model also defines logical networks and effectively describes computer packet forwarding by using different layer protocols. The OSI model may be called the 7-layer OSI model or 7-layer model. In some embodiments, the first layer may be the physical layer. In some embodiments, the second layer may be the medium access control (MAC) layer. In some embodiments, the third layer may be the radio link control (RLC) layer. In some embodiments, the fourth layer may be the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer. In some embodiments, the fifth layer may be the radio resource control (RRC) layer. In some embodiments, the sixth layer may be the Non-Accessible Service (NAS) layer or the Internet Protocol (IP) layer, and the seventh layer may be any other layer.

[0030] To enable those skilled in the art to fabricate and use the present solution, various exemplary embodiments of the present solution are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, after reading this disclosure, various modifications or alterations to the examples described herein can be made without departing from the scope of the present solution. Therefore, the present solution is not limited to the exemplary embodiments and uses described and illustrated herein. Furthermore, the particular order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed herein is merely illustrative. Based on design preferences, the particular order or hierarchy of steps in the disclosed methods or processes can be rearranged while remaining within the scope of the present solution. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that the methods and techniques disclosed herein present various steps or operations in a sample order, and that the present solution is not limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented unless otherwise specified. (2. Systems and methods for extending the effective communication range in non-terrestrial networks (NTN))

[0031] Extending the communication range for non-terrestrial networks (NTNs) can mitigate performance losses due to the large distance between user equipment (UEs) and satellites. Communication range issues may exist for some commercial UEs (e.g., smartphones). To improve communication range performance, iteration may be considered. In terrestrial network (TN) systems, physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) iteration may not be supported for hybrid automatic retransmission request (HARQ)-acknowledgment (ACK) transmission for message 4 (msg4). This disclosure investigates PUCCH iteration for HARQ-ACK transmission for msg4. The systems and methods presented herein include novel techniques for extending the communication range in non-terrestrial networks.

[0032] Figure 3 shows an example of an NTN representation, such as a transparent NTN. In some embodiments, the link between the UE and the satellite may be a service link. The link between the base station (BS) and the satellite may be a feeder link. The feeder link may be common to all UEs within the same cell.

[0033] In initial access, a four-step random access channel (RACH) procedure may be applied. Initial access may represent a series of processes between the UE and the network (e.g., gNB) for the UE to obtain uplink synchronization and a designated identifier (ID) for radio access communication. In some embodiments, initial access may be referred to as the “RACH process”. In msg4, the UE may receive conflict resolution information from the BS. In PUCCH, the UE may send a HARQ-ACK for msg4 to the BS to confirm whether msg4 was successfully received. In TN systems, such iterations of PUCCH may not be supported. (Implementation Example 1: Network Configuration for PUCCH Iterations)

[0034] PUCCH repetition for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission may not be supported in TN systems. New configuration signaling may be required to support this functionality. Since msg4HARQ-ACK transmission is performed using the RACH procedure, a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection may not be established. The new configuration can be signaled via at least one of the following: System Information Block (SIB) broadcast, Master Information Block (MIB) broadcast, Message 2 (msg2), or Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) / Downlink Control Information (DCI) for msg4.

[0035] The configuration may include at least one of the following: (i) candidate values ​​for the PUCCH repetition coefficient / number of repetitions, (ii) a specific value for the PUCCH repetition coefficient / number of repetitions, or (iii) an enable / acknowledgment signal for the PUCCH repetitive transmission. Candidate values ​​for the PUCCH repetition coefficient / number of repetitions (e.g., a set of values) may be presented to the UE for selection. The UE may configure the system to use a specific value for the PUCCH repetition coefficient / number of repetitions. If only one repetition coefficient / number of repetitions is supported, the UE may use that repetition coefficient / number of repetitions. If multiple repetition coefficients / numbers are supported, the UE may select an appropriate repetition coefficient / number of repetitions from the candidate values. The network may perform blind detection based on the candidate repetition coefficient / number of repetitions.

[0036] Since PUCCH iterations for msg4HARQ-ACK may only be supported in limited scenarios, the configuration may be implicitly indicated by the network type. In such cases, at least one of the following may be supported: (i) a candidate value for the PUCCH iteration coefficient / number of iterations may be implicitly indicated to the UE via the network type or cell type; (ii) a specific value for the PUCCH iteration coefficient / number of iterations may be implicitly indicated to the UE via the network type or cell type; (iii) an enable signal transmission for PUCCH iteration transmission may be implicitly indicated to the UE via the network type or cell type. If only one iteration coefficient / number of iterations is supported, the UE may use that coefficient / number of iterations. If multiple iteration coefficients / numbers of iterations are supported, the UE may select the appropriate one from the candidate iteration coefficients / numbers. The network may perform blind detection based on the candidate iteration coefficients / numbers of iterations. (Implementation Example 2: UE Request for PUCCH Iteration)

[0037] PUCCH repetition for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission may not be supported in TN systems. Therefore, not all UEs can support PUCCH repetition. Different elevation angles can result in different effective communication ranges. Some UEs may require repetition to mitigate performance loss, while others may not. Therefore, whether repetition is necessary and / or whether repetition is requested may be determined by the UE. The UE may request the number of repetitions from the transmitter.

[0038] Since msg4 is received in the RACH procedure, the UE may indicate a request for iteration in msg1 and / or msg3.

[0039] In msg1, a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) preamble may be transmitted. In the PRACH preamble, data may not be carried. If the UE wants to indicate a request for a PUCCH iteration for msg4HARQ-ACK, the UE may transmit msg1 with at least one set of resources. At least one set of resources may be pre-defined or configured for the UE's request for a PUCCH iteration. At least one of the following examples may be considered.

[0040] Example 1: A set of resources may be predefined or configured for a UE that may require / request / support PUCCH iterations for msg4HARQ-ACK transmissions. In some embodiments, the network may determine (e.g., indicate) a set of resources to be used to indicate a request for physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) iterations of msg4 hybrid auto retransmission request acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) transmissions. The network may indicate a set of resources to be used to indicate a request for PUCCH iterations of msg4HARQ-ACK transmissions to the UE. The UE may determine a set of resources to be used to indicate a request for PUCCH iterations of msg4HARQ-ACK transmissions, in accordance with the instructions from the network. If the UE transmits msg1 in the set of resources, the network may know / recognize the UE's need / request / support for iterations. The network may indicate the iteration coefficient / number of iterations. If only one iteration coefficient / number of iterations is supported, the network may not provide further instructions, or may indicate an acknowledgment of the iteration transmission as described in Implementation Example 1. The network may allocate PUCCH resources for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission based on the repetition coefficient / number of repetitions.

[0041] Example-1b; A set of resources may be predefined or configured for a UE that requires / requests / supports PUCCH iterations for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission. When the UE transmits msg1 in the set of resources, the network may know / recognize the UE's need / request / support for iterations. The number of iterations may be predefined information or may be selected / determined / chosen by the UE from a set of candidate values ​​indicated by the network, as described in Implementation Example 1. The network may not provide further instructions or may indicate confirmation of iteration transmission, as described in Implementation Example 1. If the number of candidate values ​​is greater than 1, the network may perform a blind detection of PUCCH for msg4HARQ-ACK. During blind detection, the network may try different numbers of iterations (e.g., 1, 2, 4, or 8) to detect the PUCCH.

[0042] Example 2: At least one set of resources may be pre-defined or configured for a UE that requires / requests / supports PUCCH iterations for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission. Each set of resources may correspond to a specific iteration coefficient / number of iterations for PUCCH. The UE may transmit msg1 in the set of resources (including the number of iterations recommended by the UE). The network may know / be aware of the iteration coefficient / number of iterations recommended / proposed by the UE. The network may indicate the iteration coefficient / number of iterations. The iterations indicated by the network may be determined according to the iteration coefficient / number of iterations recommended / proposed by the UE. The determination of the number of iterations may take the UE recommendation into consideration, but is ultimately controlled by the BS. The network may allocate PUCCH resources for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission based on the iteration coefficient / number of iterations.

[0043] Example 3: At least one set of resources may be pre-defined or configured for a UE that requires / requests / supports PUCCH iterations for msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission. The UE may transmit msg1 in the set of resources (including the number of iterations recommended by the UE). Each set of resources may correspond to a specific iteration factor / number of iterations for PUCCH. The network may know / be aware of the number of iterations available to the UE and may comply with requests from the UE. The network may either not give instructions or indicate confirmation of iterative transmission, as described in Implementation Example 1. The network may allocate PUCCH resources for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission based on the iteration factor / number of iterations (e.g., according to the number of iterations recommended by the UE).

[0044] In certain embodiments, at least one set of resources may be predefined information, or it may be configured by the network via at least one of SIB broadcasts or MIB broadcasts.

[0045] In msg3, the UE may transmit some necessary information to the network for access (e.g., Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier (C-RNTI)). msg3 can carry several payloads. The UE may define a new bit field in msg3 or reinterpret an existing bit field for signaling the UE's request / support for PUCCH iterations for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission. Signaling may be supported for specific scenarios (e.g., NTN). If the UE is serviced by an NTN cell, signaling the UE's request / support for PUCCH iterations may be supported. At least one of the following examples may be considered.

[0046] Example-4: A bit field may be newly defined in msg3 or reinterpreted from an existing bit field in msg3 (including reserved bits) to indicate the UE's request / support for PUCCH repetitions for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission. For example, if "1" is signaled, it may indicate that the UE requests / supports repetitions. The network may know / recognize the UE's need / request / support for PUCCH repetitions for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission. If "0" is signaled or the bit field is absent, PUCCH repetitions for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission may not be needed / supported. The number of repetitions may be predefined information or may be selected / determined by the UE from a set of candidate values ​​indicated by the network, as described in Implementation Example 1. The number of candidate values ​​may be one or more. If the number of candidate values ​​is equal to one, the UE uses that value. The network may also not give any indication or indicate confirmation of repetition transmission, as described in Implementation Example 1. If the number of candidate values ​​is greater than 1, the network may perform a blind detection of PUCCH for msg4HARQ-ACK. That is, the network may try a different number of iterations to detect PUCCH. If the bitfield is not present, PUCCH iterations for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission may not be requested / supported by the UE. That is, the behavior may be determined by the UE.

[0047] Example 5: The bit field may be newly defined in msg3 or reinterpreted from an existing bit field (including reserved bits) in msg3 to indicate the requested / supported PUCCH iteration coefficient / number of iterations for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission. The network may receive from the UE a number of iterations selected from several candidate iterations. The network may either not give instructions or indicate confirmation of iteration transmission, as described in Implementation Example 1. The network may allocate PUCCH resources for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission based on the iteration coefficient / number of iterations. The bit field size may be determined by candidate values ​​for the iteration coefficient / number of iterations. Candidate values ​​for the iteration coefficient / number of iterations may be predefined information or may be indicated by the network, as described in Implementation Example 1. If the bit field does not exist, PUCCH iterations for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission may not be requested / supported by the UE. In other words, the behavior may be as determined by the UE.

[0048] Furthermore, the iteration requirement can be achieved by combining msg1 and msg3. msg1 may indicate the requirement / support for iteration, and msg3 may indicate the selected iteration coefficient / number of iterations. In such a case, at least one of the following examples is possible.

[0049] Example 6: As in Example 1, a set of resources may be predefined or configured for a UE that requires / requests / supports PUCCH iterations for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission. When a UE transmits msg1 in the set of resources, the network may know / recognize the UE's requested / supported iterations and indicate candidate iteration coefficients / number of iterations in msg2. The UE may indicate the selected / requested iteration coefficients / number of iterations in msg3 in a newly defined or reinterpreted bit field, as in Example 5. The UE and the network may reach a consensus regarding the PUCCH iteration coefficients / number of iterations. The network may allocate PUCCH resources for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission based on the iteration coefficients / number of iterations.

[0050] Example 7: As in Example 1, a set of resources may be predefined or configured for a UE that may require / request / support PUCCH iterations for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission. When a UE transmits msg1 with such a set of resources, the network may know / recognize the UE's requested / supported iterations and indicate whether the iteration function is enabled. The UE may indicate the selected / requested iteration coefficient / number of iterations in msg3 in a newly defined or reinterpreted bit field, as in Example 5. The UE and the network may reach a consensus on the PUCCH iteration coefficient / number of iterations. The network may allocate PUCCH resources for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission based on the iteration coefficient / number of iterations. (Implementation Example 3: UE Requirements for DMRS Bundling)

[0051] Demodulated Reference Signal (DMRS) bundling can be considered as a way to improve communication range performance. DMRS bundling can be used to estimate the transmission of a reference signal in a channel. The network can configure a DMRS bundling time-domain window. DMRS within the time window can be bundled for channel estimation, which provides better performance. If DMRS bundling is supported, the required PUCCH iteration coefficient / count can be reduced, saving resource overhead. However, since DMRS bundling is not a mandatory feature, the UE can indicate to the network whether it supports / requires DMRS bundling.

[0052] Whether the UE supports / requests DMRS bundling may be carried in msg3. Similar to Implementation Example 2, the UE may define a new bit field in msg3 or reinterpret an existing bit field for signaling the UE's request / support for DMRS bundling for PUCCH for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission. Signaling may be supported for specific scenarios (e.g., NTN). If the UE is serviced by an NTN cell, signaling the UE's request / support for PUCCH iterations may be supported. At least one of the following examples may be considered.

[0053] Example-1: The 1 bit field may be newly defined in msg3 or reinterpreted from an existing bit field (including reserved bits) in msg3 to indicate a request / support for DMRS bundling for PUCCH for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission. For example, if "1" is signaled, it may indicate that the UE requests / supports DMRS bundling. The network may know / recognize the UE's need / request / support for DMRS bundling for PUCCH for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission. If "0" is signaled or the bit field is absent, DMRS bundling for PUCCH for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission may not be required / supported. The DMRS bundling time window may be the same as the segment length for pre-compensation. The network may indicate confirmation of DMRS bundling in a PDCCH that does not execute the instruction or can schedule msg4. If the duration of the PUCCH transmission (including repetitions) is shorter than the segment length for pre-compensation, all DMRS may be in the same bundle. In the example above, the segment length for pre-compensation can be configured by the network via SIB broadcast.

[0054] Furthermore, the UE may indicate in the same signal transmission whether it supports repetition and DMRS bundling for PUCCH for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission. At least one of the following examples may be considered.

[0055] Example 2: The 1 bit field may be newly defined in msg3 or reinterpreted from the current / existing bit fields (including reserved bits) of msg3 to indicate whether it supports repetition and DMRS bundling for PUCCH for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission. For example, if "1" is signaled, it may indicate that the UE requests / supports both repetition and DMRS bundling. The network may perform a blind detection of PUCCH for msg4HARQ-ACK and apply DMRS bundling during detection. If "0" is signaled, it may indicate that the UE requests / supports only repetition. The network may perform a blind detection of PUCCH for msg4HARQ-ACK but may not apply DMRS bundling. If the bit field is absent, it may indicate that the UE does not request / support repetition. The network may follow the previous procedure in detection.

[0056] Example 3: A bit field may be newly defined in msg3, or reinterpreted from the current / existing bit field (including reserved bits) of msg3, to indicate the requested / supported PUCCH repetition coefficient / number of repetitions for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission, as in Example 5. One possible value may be used to indicate whether DMRS bundling is supported for PUCCH for msg4HARQ-ACK transmission. For example, a 2-bit field may be defined, where "00" indicates that 2 repetition transmissions are requested / supported, "01" indicates that 4 repetition transmissions are requested / supported, "10" indicates that 8 repetition transmissions are requested / supported, and "11" indicates that both 8 repetition transmissions and DMRS bundling are requested / supported. The network may perform detection based on the UE's instructions. Another example is that "11" may indicate that both repetition transmissions and DMRS bundling are requested / supported, but the detailed repetition coefficient / number of repetitions is not specified. In such cases, the network may perform blind detection of PUCCH for msg4HARQ-ACK and apply DMRS bundling during detection.

[0057] It should be understood that one or more features from the above implementation examples are not limited to any particular implementation and can be combined in any way (e.g., in any order and priority, simultaneously or otherwise).

[0058] Figure 4 shows the effective communication range in a non-terrestrial network (NTN) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. A flowchart for expansion is shown. Method 400 can be implemented using any one or more of the components and devices detailed herein in relation to the figures and Figure 2. In summary, Method 400 can be performed by a wireless communication device in some embodiments. Depending on the embodiment, additional, fewer, or different operations may be performed in Method 400. At least one aspect of the operation relates to a system, method, apparatus, or computer-readable medium.

[0059] A wireless communication device (e.g., a UE) may determine one or more sets of resources to use to indicate information (e.g., a request or support) for a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) iteration of a msg4 hybrid auto-retransmit request acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) transmission. The wireless communication device may use one or more sets of resources to send a msg1 transmission to a wireless communication node (e.g., a BS) to indicate information for a PUCCH iteration. The information for a PUCCH iteration may include at least one of a request for a PUCCH iteration of a msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission, or support for a PUCCH iteration of a msg4 HARQ-ACK transmission.

[0060] In some embodiments, a wireless communication device may receive from a wireless communication node, in response to a msg1 transmission, an instruction for the number of repetitions for a PUCCH iteration or an acknowledgment to support a PUCCH iteration. The wireless communication device may determine (e.g., select) the number of repetitions for a PUCCH iteration from a plurality of candidate numbers of repetitions. This determination (e.g., selection) may cause the wireless communication node to perform a blind detection for the PUCCH iteration.

[0061] In some embodiments, a wireless communication device may transmit a msg1 transmission using one or more sets of resources to indicate or recommend a number of repetitions to a wireless communication node. One or more sets of resources may correspond to a number of repetitions. Other sets of resources may correspond to different numbers of repetitions.

[0062] In some embodiments, a wireless communication device (e.g., a UE) may determine at least one number of iterations. The wireless communication device may transmit the number of iterations to a wireless communication node (e.g., a BS / network) via msg3 transmission.

[0063] In some embodiments, the determination of at least one number of iterations may be selected from a predetermined value or from at least one candidate value received from a wireless communication node. The wireless communication device may receive confirmation from the wireless communication node to support PUCCH iterations.

[0064] In some embodiments, a wireless communication device may receive instructions or acknowledgments from a wireless communication node via at least one of the following: a System Information Block (SIB) signal, a Master Information Block (MIB) signal, a msg2 transmission, or a Downlink Control Information (DCI) signal transmission for msg4. The wireless communication device may receive one or more candidate iteration coefficient / iteration count configurations from a wireless communication node via at least one of the following: a System Information Block (SIB) signal transmission, a Master Information Block (MIB) signal transmission, a msg2 transmission, or a Downlink Control Information (DCI) signal transmission for msg4. Depending on the cell type or network type, the wireless communication device may determine at least one of the following: one or more candidate iteration count configurations, an iteration count instruction for a PUCCH iteration, or an acknowledgment to support a PUCCH iteration.

[0065] In some embodiments, a wireless communication device (e.g., UE) may transmit a msg3 transmission to a wireless communication node (e.g., BS) requesting demodulated reference signal (DMRS) bundling. The wireless communication device may transmit a msg4 hybrid automatic retransmission request acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) transmission to the wireless communication node with DMRS bundling. The msg3 transmission may include a 1-bit value indicating the request for DMRS bundling. The time window for DMRS bundling may be less than or equal to the segment length for pre-compensation. The wireless communication device may receive the segment length configuration from the wireless communication node via system information block (SIB) signal transmission.

[0066] In some embodiments, a wireless communication node (e.g., BS) may receive a msg1 transmission from a wireless communication device (e.g., UE) using a set of one or more resources. The use of a set of one or more resources may indicate information (e.g., request or support) for a physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) iteration of a msg4 hybrid auto retransmission request acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) transmission.

[0067] In some embodiments, a wireless communication node (e.g., BS) may transmit a configuration including multiple candidate iteration counts to a wireless communication device (e.g., UE). The wireless communication node may receive a number of iterations selected from the multiple candidate iteration counts from the wireless communication device.

[0068] In some embodiments, a radio communication node (e.g., BS) may receive a msg3 transmission from a radio communication device (e.g., UE) requesting demodulated reference signal (DMRS) bundling. The radio communication node may also receive a msg4 hybrid automatic retransmission request acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) transmission from the radio communication device using the DMRS bundling.

[0069] While various embodiments of this solution have been described above, it should be understood that they are presented only as examples and not as limitations. Similarly, various figures may depict exemplary architectures or configurations provided to enable those skilled in the art to understand the exemplary features and functions of this solution. However, as such those skilled in the art will see, the solution is not limited to the exemplary architectures or configurations shown and can be implemented using various alternative architectures and configurations. Furthermore, as will be understood by those skilled in the art, one or more features of one embodiment can be combined with one or more features of another embodiment described herein. Therefore, the breadth and scope of this disclosure should not be limited by any of the exemplary embodiments described above.

[0070] It should be understood that any reference to elements in this specification using designations such as "first," "second," etc., does not generally limit the quantity or order of those elements. Rather, these designations can be used in this specification as a convenient means of distinguishing two or more elements or examples of elements. Thus, references to first and second elements do not mean that only two elements can be used, or that the first element must precede the second element in any way.

[0071] Furthermore, as those skilled in the art will know, information and signals can be represented using any of the various different techniques and methods. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, and symbols that may be mentioned in the above description can be represented by voltage, electric current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or optical particles, or any combination thereof.

[0072] As those skilled in the art will see, any of the various exemplary logic blocks, modules, processors, means, circuits, methods, and functions described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented by electronic hardware (e.g., digital implementation, analog implementation, or a combination of both), firmware, various forms of programs or design code incorporating instructions (which may be referred to herein for convenience as “software” or “software modules”), or any combination of these techniques. To clearly illustrate this compatibility of hardware, firmware, and software, various exemplary components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps are generally described above with respect to their functions. Whether such functions are implemented as hardware, firmware, or software, or as a combination of these techniques, depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system. Those skilled in the art may implement the described functions in various ways for specific applications, but such implementation decisions do not deviate from the scope of this disclosure.

[0073] Furthermore, as those skilled in the art will see, various exemplary logic blocks, modules, devices, components, and circuits described herein may be implemented in or run within integrated circuits (ICs) which may include general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) or other programmable logic devices, or any combination thereof. Logic blocks, modules, and circuits may further include antennas and / or transceivers for communicating with various components within a network or device. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other suitable configuration for performing the functions described herein.

[0074] When implemented in software, the functionality can be stored as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Thus, steps of the methods or algorithms disclosed herein can be implemented as software stored on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable mediums include both computer storage media and communication media, including any medium that can enable the transfer of computer programs or code from one location to another. The storage medium can be any available medium accessible by a computer. Such computer-readable media, but not limited to examples, may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium accessible by a computer that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures.

[0075] As used herein, the term “module” refers to software, firmware, hardware, and any combination thereof for performing the relevant functions described herein. Furthermore, for illustrative purposes, various modules are described as separate modules, but as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, two or more modules may be combined to form a single module that performs the relevant functions according to embodiments of this solution.

[0076] Furthermore, in embodiments of this solution, memory or other storage devices, as well as communication components, may be used. For clarity, it can be understood that the above description refers to embodiments of this solution with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it is clear that any appropriate allocation of functions between different functional units, processing logic elements, or domains may be used without impairing the solution. For example, functions shown to be performed by separate processing logic elements or controllers may be performed by the same processing logic element or controller. Thus, references to specific functional units are not intended to indicate a strict logical or physical structure or organization, but merely to refer to appropriate means for providing the described functions.

[0077] Various modifications to the embodiments described herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments shown herein, but should be given the broadest scope consistent with the novel features and principles disclosed herein, as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A method, wherein the said method is The wireless communication device transmits an MSG3 to a wireless communication node, the MSG3 including information indicating that the wireless communication device supports physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) iterations, The wireless communication device receives from the wireless communication node at least one number of repetitions for the PUCCH repetition of the msg4 Hybrid Auto Retransmission Request Acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) transmission, and if the at least one number of repetitions includes multiple numbers of repetitions, the wireless communication device selects one number of repetitions from the multiple numbers of repetitions in accordance with instructions received via downlink control information (DCI) signaling for the msg4; and if the at least one number of repetitions includes only one number of repetitions, the wireless communication device uses only one number of repetitions for the PUCCH repetition. The wireless communication device transmits the msg4 HARQ-ACK to the wireless communication node using the PUCCH iteration. Methods that include...

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device receives information indicating the number of iterations from the wireless communication node via a system information block (SIB) broadcast.

3. A wireless communication device, The wireless communication device comprises at least one processor, The aforementioned at least one processor is The method involves transmitting msg3 to a wireless communication node via a transceiver, wherein msg3 includes information indicating that the wireless communication device supports physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) iterations. The wireless communication node receives, via the transceiver, at least one number of repetitions for the PUCCH repetition of the msg4 Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request Acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) transmission, wherein if the at least one number of repetitions includes multiple numbers of repetitions, the wireless communication device selects one number of repetitions from the multiple numbers of repetitions in accordance with instructions received via the Downlink Control Information (DCI) signal transmission for the msg4, and if the at least one number of repetitions includes only one number of repetitions, the wireless communication device uses only one number of repetitions for the PUCCH repetition. The msg4 HARQ-ACK is transmitted to the wireless communication node via the transceiver using the PUCCH repetition. A wireless communication device configured to perform the following actions.

4. The wireless communication device according to claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive the at least one number of iterations from the wireless communication node via the transceiver and via a system information block (SIB) broadcast.

5. A method, wherein the said method is The wireless communication node receives an MSG3 from a wireless communication device, the MSG3 containing information indicating that the wireless communication device supports physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) iterations, The wireless communication node transmits to the wireless communication device at least one number of repetitions for the PUCCH repetition of the msg4 Hybrid Auto Retransmission Request Acknowledgment (HARQ-ACK) transmission, wherein if the at least one number of repetitions includes multiple numbers of repetitions, the wireless communication device selects one number of repetitions from the multiple numbers of repetitions in accordance with instructions received via downlink control information (DCI) signal transmission for the msg4, and if the at least one number of repetitions includes only one number of repetitions, the wireless communication device uses only one number of repetitions for the PUCCH repetition. The wireless communication node receives the msg4 HARQ-ACK from the wireless communication device using the PUCCH repetition. Methods that include...

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the wireless communication node transmits the at least one number of repetitions to the wireless communication device via a system information block (SIB) broadcast.

7. A wireless communication node, The wireless communication node comprises at least one processor, The aforementioned at least one processor is Receiving an MSG3 from a wireless communication device via a transceiver, wherein the MSG3 includes information indicating that the wireless communication device supports physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) iterations. Through the aforementioned transceiver, MSG4 Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request Acknowledgment (HARQ-A The CK) transmission of at least one number of repetitions for the PUCCH repetition to the wireless communication device, wherein if the at least one number of repetitions includes multiple numbers of repetitions, the wireless communication device selects one number of repetitions from the multiple numbers of repetitions in accordance with instructions received via downlink control information (DCI) signal transmission for msg4, and if the at least one number of repetitions includes only one number of repetitions, the wireless communication device uses only one number of repetitions for the PUCCH repetition. The wireless communication device receives the msg4 HARQ-ACK via the transceiver using the PUCCH repetition. A wireless communication node configured to perform the following actions.

8. The wireless communication node according to claim 7, wherein the at least one processor is configured to transmit the at least one number of iterations to the wireless communication device via the transceiver and via a system information block (SIB) broadcast.

Images