Uplink allocation in wireless communication systems

Abstract

A method for wireless communication includes the steps of: identifying resource block assignments for non-data uplink resources within a set of resource blocks; determining a first range of resource blocks under the resource block assignments for non-data uplink resources, and identifying a second range of resource blocks above the resource block assignments for non-data uplink resources; calculating a first bandwidth associated with the first range of resource blocks, and calculating a second bandwidth associated with the second range of resource blocks; and configuring a first wireless communication device to operate within a discrete bandwidth level sufficient to include the larger of the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth, wherein the discrete bandwidth level is smaller than the full uplink bandwidth assigned by a network serving the first wireless communication device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This patent application claims priority and benefit to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 082885, filed October 28, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, as fully set forth below and for all applicable purposes.

[0002] This case concerns wireless communication systems, and more specifically, uplink allocation in wireless communication networks. Prior Technology

[0003] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content, such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, and broadcasting. These systems can support communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Wireless multiplexing access communication systems may include multiple base stations (BSs), each simultaneously supporting communication with multiple communication devices (which may also be referred to as user equipment (UE)).

[0004] To meet the growing demand for extended mobile broadband connectivity, wireless communication technologies are evolving from Long Term Evolution (LTE) to Next Generation New Radio (NR), often referred to as fifth generation (5G). For example, NR is designed to provide lower latency, higher bandwidth or throughput, and greater reliability compared to LTE. NR is designed to operate across a wide range of frequency bands, from low-frequency bands below approximately 1 GHz and mid-frequency bands from approximately 1 GHz to approximately 6 GHz, to high-frequency bands such as mm-wave bands. NR is also designed to operate across different spectrum types, from licensed spectrum to unlicensed and shared spectrum. Spectrum sharing allows service providers to opportunistically aggregate spectrum to dynamically support high-bandwidth services. Spectrum sharing extends the advantages of NR technology to operational entities that may not have access to licensed spectrum.

[0005] Furthermore, both UE users and UE designers are concerned about energy usage, as it affects battery life. Generally, the more bandwidth allocated to a UE, the more power it consumes, and the more battery power it draws. There is currently a need in the art to improve technology to conserve energy at the UE level. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To provide a basic understanding of the technology discussed, some aspects of the subject matter are outlined below. This outline is not a general overview of all anticipated features of the subject matter, nor is it intended to identify key or essential elements of all aspects of the subject matter, nor to illustrate the scope of any or all aspects of the subject matter. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects of the subject matter in an outline form as a prelude to the more detailed description that follows.

[0007] For example, in one embodiment of this case, a method for wireless communication includes the following steps: identifying resource block assignments for non-data uplink resources within a set of resource blocks; determining a first range of resource blocks under the resource block assignments for the non-data uplink resources, and identifying a second range of resource blocks above the resource block assignments for the non-data uplink resources; calculating a first bandwidth associated with the first range of the resource blocks, and calculating a second bandwidth associated with the second range of the resource blocks; and configuring a first wireless communication device to operate within a discrete bandwidth level sufficient to include the larger of the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth, wherein the discrete bandwidth level is smaller than the full uplink bandwidth assigned by the network serving the first wireless communication device.

[0008] In an additional embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus includes: a transceiver configured to communicate with a network over an uplink channel; and a processor configured to: identify resource block assignments for non-data uplink resources within a set of resource blocks; determine a first range of resource blocks under the resource block assignments for the non-data uplink resources, and identify a second range of resource blocks above the resource block assignments for the non-data uplink resources; and configure the transceiver to operate at a discrete bandwidth level sufficient to include the larger of the first range and the second range of the resource blocks, wherein the discrete bandwidth level is smaller than the full uplink bandwidth assigned by the network.

[0009] In an additional form of the content of this case, a non-transitory computer-readable medium having code recorded thereon includes: code for receiving information elements from a base station, the information elements defining resource block assignments for non-data uplink resources; code for determining a first range of resource blocks under the resource block assignment and a second range of resource blocks above the resource block assignment; and code for tuning hardware within a user device to operate within a bandwidth level corresponding to the larger of the first range or the second range and smaller than the full uplink bandwidth assignment by the base station.

[0010] In an additional embodiment of the present case, a user equipment includes: a component for determining that the user equipment does not support a discontinuous entity UL shared channel (PUSCH) allocation; and a component for responding to the determination to tune the hardware of the user equipment to operate within a discrete bandwidth level less than the full uplink bandwidth allocation.

[0011] After reviewing the following description of specific, exemplary embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, other forms, features, and embodiments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Although features of the present invention may be discussed below with respect to certain embodiments and drawings, all embodiments of the present invention may include one or more of the advantageous features discussed herein. In other words, although one or more embodiments may be discussed as having certain advantageous features, one or more of these features may also be used according to the various embodiments of the present invention discussed herein. Similarly, although exemplary embodiments may be discussed below as embodiments of devices, systems, or methods, it should be understood that such exemplary embodiments may be implemented in a wide variety of devices, systems, and methods. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0012] Figure 1 illustrates some types of wireless communication networks according to the content of this case.

[0013] Figure 2 illustrates a block diagram of some types of user equipment (UE) according to the content of this case.

[0014] Figure 3 illustrates some of the wireless communication frame structures according to the content of this case.

[0015] Figure 4 illustrates several different discrete bandwidth levels of a UE based on some of the features described in this case.

[0016] Figure 5 illustrates some of the characteristics of the uplink defined by the network according to the content of this case.

[0017] Figure 6 is a block diagram of some types of user equipment (UE) according to the content of this case.

[0018] Figure 7 is a block diagram of an exemplary base station (BS) based on some of the features described in this case.

[0019] Figure 8 is a flowchart of some communication methods based on the content of this case. Implementation

[0020] The detailed descriptions following, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, are intended as descriptions of various configurations, and not as representations of only configurations in which the concepts described herein can be implemented. For a thorough understanding of the various concepts, the detailed descriptions include specific details. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts can be implemented without using such specific details. In some cases, to avoid ambiguity regarding these concepts, well-known structures and components are illustrated in block diagram form.

[0021] Broadly speaking, this case pertains to wireless communication systems (also known as wireless communication networks). In various implementations, these technologies and apparatuses can be used in wireless communication networks and other communication networks such as: Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) networks, Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) networks, Orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA) networks, Single Carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA) networks, LTE networks, Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) networks, and 5G or New Radio (NR) networks. As described herein, the terms "network" and "system" are used interchangeably.

[0022] OFDMA networks can implement radio technologies such as Evolved UTRA (E-UTRA), IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.16, IEEE 802.20, and Flash OFDM. UTRA, E-UTRA, and GSM are part of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). Specifically, Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a version of UMTS using E-UTRA. UTRA, E-UTRA, GSM, UMTS, and LTE are described in documents from an organization called the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), and cdma2000 is described in documents from an organization called 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2). These various radio technologies and standards are either known or under development. For example, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is a collaboration between groups of telecommunications associations aimed at defining globally applicable third-generation (3G) mobile phone specifications. 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a 3GPP project aimed at improving the UMTS mobile phone standard. 3GPP defines specifications for next-generation mobile networks, mobile systems, and mobile devices. This case involves the evolution of wireless technologies from LTE, 4G, 5G, NR, and beyond, which features shared access to the radio spectrum between networks using new and different radio access technologies or radio space interfaces.

[0023] Specifically, 5G networks are expected to enable diverse deployments, diverse spectrum, and diverse services and devices using a unified OFDM-based air interface. To achieve these goals, in addition to developing new radio technologies for 5G NR networks, further enhancements to LTE and improved LTE are also being considered. 5G NR will be able to scale to provide coverage for: (1) large-scale Internet of Things (IoT) networks with ultra-high density (e.g., ~1M nodes / km²), ultra-low complexity (e.g., ~10 s bits / second), ultra-low energy (e.g., ~10+ years of battery life), and deep coverage with the ability to reach challenging locations; (2) mission-critical control with strong security for protecting sensitive personal, financial, or confidential information, ultra-high reliability (e.g., ~99.9999% reliability), ultra-low latency (e.g., ~1 ms), and a wide range of mobile or inactive users; and (3) enhanced mobile broadband with ultra-high capacity (e.g., ~10 Tbps / km²), extreme data rates (e.g., multi-Gbps rates, 100+ Mbps user experience rates), and deep sensing with advanced exploration and optimization.

[0024] 5G NR can be implemented using optimized OFDM-based waveforms with a scalable set of parameters and transmission time intervals (TTI); a common, flexible framework to efficiently multiplex services and features using dynamic, low-latency time-division duplex (TDD) / frequency-division duplex (FDD) designs; and advanced wireless technologies such as massive MIMO, robust millimeter-wave (mm-wave) transmission, advanced channel decoding, and device-centric mobility. The scalability of the parameter set in 5G NR (with scaling of subcarrier spacing) efficiently addresses the operation of diverse services across diverse spectrum and deployments. For example, in various outdoor and macro coverage deployments with FDD / TDD implementations below 3 GHz, subcarrier spacing can occur, for example, at 15 kHz over bandwidths (BW) of 5, 10, and 20 MHz. For various other outdoor and small-cell coverage deployments using TDD above 3 GHz, the subcarrier spacing can occur at 30 kHz over an 80 / 100 MHz band. For various other indoor broadband implementations using TDD in the unlicensed portion of the 5 GHz band, the subcarrier spacing can occur at 60 kHz over a 160 MHz band. Finally, for various deployments utilizing the mm-wave component of TDD at 28 GHz, the subcarrier spacing can occur at 120 kHz over a 500 MHz band.

[0025] 5G NR's scalable parameter set facilitates scalable TTIs for varying latency and Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. For example, shorter TTIs can be used for low latency and high reliability, while longer TTIs can be used for higher spectral efficiency. Efficient multiplexing for both long and short TTIs allows transmissions to begin at symbol boundaries. 5G NR also anticipates self-contained integrated subframe designs, where uplink / downlink scheduling information, data, and acknowledgments are within the same subframe. These self-contained integrated subframes support unlicensed or contention-based shared spectrum communication, and self-adjusting uplink / downlink (which can be flexibly configured on a per-cell basis to dynamically switch between UL and downlink to meet current traffic demands).

[0026] The following further describes various other aspects and features of the subject matter. It should be apparent that the teachings herein can be embodied in a wide variety of forms, and any particular structure, function, or both disclosed herein are merely representative and not limiting. Based on the teachings herein, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the aspects disclosed herein can be implemented independently of any other aspects, and two or more of such aspects can be combined in various ways. For example, an apparatus or a method can be implemented using any number of the aspects described herein. Furthermore, such an apparatus or method can be implemented using structures, functions, or structures and functions other than or different from one or more of the aspects described herein. For example, a method can be implemented as part of a system, device, apparatus, and / or as instructions stored on a computer-readable medium for execution on a processor or computer. Additionally, an aspect may include at least one element of a claim.

[0027] Some NR technologies include techniques for allocating network bandwidth for uplink (UL) communication by user equipment (UE). For example, in some cases, the full uplink bandwidth can be 100 MHz. This bandwidth can be shared with some non-data uplink resources, such as the Random Access Channel (RACH), Physical UL Control Channel (PUCCH), Sound Reference Signal (SRS), etc. In this example, non-data uplink resources include signals and channels used for control data rather than user data.

[0028] In contrast, an example of uplink resources carrying user data is the Physical UL Shared Channel (PUSCH). In some cases, a PUSCH can be assigned to non-contiguous resource blocks. Therefore, if some resource blocks are used for non-data uplink resources, a PUSCH can still be assigned to resource blocks above and below those assigned for non-data uplink resources. In this case, the PUSCH can use all or almost all of the full uplink bandwidth allocated by the network.

[0029] In other instances, the UE may not support non-contiguous PUSCH allocation. In other words, in this case, the network may allocate only contiguous resource blocks to the PUSCH. Even when non-data resources are assigned resource blocks near the lower or upper boundary of the resource block range, contiguous PUSCH allocation can still utilize all or almost all of the full uplink bandwidth assigned by the network.

[0030] However, some networks can assign resource blocks to one or more non-data uplink resources near the center of the carrier bandwidth (i.e., near the middle of the resource block range). Subsequently, UEs supporting non-contiguous PUSCH allocation can be assigned to a set of non-contiguous resource blocks above and below the resource blocks used for non-data uplink resources. In contrast, UEs not supporting non-contiguous PUSCH allocation may have their uplink bandwidth reduced by approximately half due to PUSCH allocation, which may only be used in resource blocks above or below the non-data uplink resources used for any given frame.

[0031] The various embodiments described herein address situations where the UE does not support discontinuous PUSCH allocation. For example, if the UE is forced to use less bandwidth than its full uplink bandwidth due to the placement of non-data resources, the various embodiments can detect this configuration and implement techniques to reduce power usage.

[0032] For example, some embodiments may include the UE detecting that it does not support non-contiguous PUSCH allocation (e.g., not supporting PUSCH allocation type -0). The UE can then identify resource block assignments for non-data uplink resources (such as RACH). For illustration, there may be 100 resource blocks 0-99, and RACH may be assigned to resource block 50. The UE can then determine a first range of resource blocks (e.g., 0-49) below the resource block assignment for non-data uplink resources and a second range of resource blocks (e.g., 51-99) above that resource block assignment. The UE can then calculate a first bandwidth associated with the first range of resource blocks and a second bandwidth associated with the second range of resource blocks. In one instance, each of the resource blocks corresponds to the same amount of bandwidth, so the range with the most resource blocks also corresponds to a larger bandwidth. In this instance, the first range has 50 resource blocks, which is greater than the second range's 49 resource blocks; therefore, the first range corresponds to a larger bandwidth compared to the second range.

[0033] Continuing with this example, the UE can then configure itself to operate within a discrete bandwidth level, representing the maximum bandwidth across the two ranges containing the resource blocks. For ease of illustration, if there are five discrete bandwidth levels, including a 25 MHz level and a 30 MHz level, and if the bandwidth corresponding to the first range is 27 MHz, then the UE will configure itself to operate at the 30 MHz discrete bandwidth level. The discrete bandwidth level can be smaller than the full uplink bandwidth assigned by the network. For example, if the full uplink bandwidth is 60 MHz, and the UE configures itself to operate using a bandwidth no greater than 30 MHz, then the UE can save itself the power and performance disadvantage associated with tuning to operate within the full 60 MHz bandwidth. Of course, these values ​​are merely examples, and the scope of the embodiments is not limited to any number of resource blocks, bandwidths, or center frequencies.

[0034] The various embodiments described herein offer several advantages. For example, the current (and therefore power) of a wireless transmitter typically varies with the carrier bandwidth. Therefore, various embodiments that tune themselves to operate at a discrete bandwidth level not exceeding or less than the full uplink bandwidth can save power. Similarly, noise typically increases with increasing bandwidth. Therefore, various embodiments that tune themselves to operate at a bandwidth less than the full uplink bandwidth can reduce noise, as measured by exponentials such as signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), error vector magnitude (EVM), etc. In other words, the various embodiments can reduce power consumption, thereby increasing the battery life of the wireless device, and improving performance by reducing noise. In contrast, a UE that tunes itself to use the full uplink bandwidth (even if it is only allocated a portion of that bandwidth) can use more power and experience more noise for the same amount of available bandwidth (when compared to the various embodiments described herein).

[0035] Figure 1 illustrates a wireless communication network 100 of some forms according to the content of this case. Network 100 may be a 5G network. Network 100 includes multiple base stations (BSs) 105 (labeled 105a, 105b, 105c, 105d, 105e, and 105f, respectively) and other network entities. BS 105 may be a station communicating with UE 115, and may also be referred to as an evolved Node B (eNB), a next-generation eNB (gNB), an access point, etc. Each BS 105 may provide communication coverage for a specific geographic area. In 3GPP, the term "cell" may represent the specific geographic coverage area of ​​BS 105 and / or the BS subsystem serving that coverage area, depending on the context in which the term is used. The actions in Figures 4, 5, and 8 can be performed by any UE 115.

[0036] BS 105 can provide communication coverage for macrocells or small cells (e.g., picocells or femtocells) and / or other types of cells. Macrocells typically cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., a radius of several kilometers) and can allow unrestricted access by UEs with service subscriptions to a network provider. Small cells (e.g., picocells) will typically cover a relatively small geographic area and can allow unrestricted access by UEs with service subscriptions to a network provider. Small cells (e.g., femtocells) will also typically cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a residential area) and, in addition to unrestricted access, can provide restricted access by UEs associated with that femtocell (e.g., UEs in a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG), UEs for users in a residential area, etc.). A BS used for macrocells may be referred to as a macro BS. A BS used for small cells may be referred to as a small cell BS, pico BS, femto BS, or home BS. In the examples illustrated in Figure 1, BS 105b, 105d, and 105e can be general macro BSs, while BS 105a and 105c can be macro BSs implemented using one of three-dimensional (3D), full-dimensional (FD), or large-scale MIMO. BS 105a and 105c can utilize their higher-dimensional MIMO capabilities to employ 3D beamforming in both elevation and azimuth beamforming to increase coverage and capacity. BS 105f can be a small-cell BS, which can be a family node or a portable access point. BS 105 can support one or more (e.g., two, three, four, etc.) cells.

[0037] Network 100 can support synchronous or asynchronous operation. For synchronous operation, BSs can have similar frame timings, and transmissions from different BSs can be approximately aligned in time. For asynchronous operation, BSs can have different frame timings, and transmissions from different BSs may not be aligned in time.

[0038] UE 115 is distributed throughout the wireless network 100, and each UE 115 can be stationary or mobile. UE 115 can also be referred to as a terminal, mobile station, user unit, station, etc. UE 115 can be a cellular phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless modem, wireless communication device, handheld device, tablet computer, laptop computer, wireless phone, wireless loopback (WLL) station, etc. In one configuration, UE 115 can be a device including a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC). In another configuration, UE 115 can be a device without a UICC. In some configurations, UE 115 without a UICC can also be referred to as an IoT device or Internet of Things (IoE) device. UE 115a-115d are examples of mobile smartphone type devices accessing the network 100. UE 115 can also be a machine specifically configured for connectivity communications (including Machine Type Communication (MTC), Enhanced MTC (eMTC), Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), etc.). UE 115e-115h are examples of various machines configured for communication that access the network 100. UE 115i-115k are examples of vehicles equipped with wireless communication devices configured for communication that access the network 100. UE 115 can communicate with any type of BS (whether macro BS, small cell, etc.). In Figure 1, lightning (e.g., communication link) indicates wireless transmissions between UE 115 and serving BS 105 (which is designated to serve UE 115 on the downlink (DL) and / or uplink (UL), expected transmissions between BS 105, backhaul transmissions between BSs, or sidelink transmissions between UE 115.

[0039] In operation, BS 105a and 105c can use 3D beamforming and coordinated spatial technologies (e.g., Coordinated Multipoint (CoMP) or multi-connectivity) to service UE 115a and 115b. Macro BS 105d can perform backhaul communications with BS 105a and 105c, as well as small cells (BS 105f). Macro BS 105d can also transmit multicast services subscribed to and received by UE 115c and 115d. Such multicast services may include mobile TV or streaming video, or may include other services for providing cell information, such as weather emergencies or alerts (e.g., Amber Alert or Grey Alert).

[0040] BS 105 can also communicate with the core network. The core network provides user authentication, access authorization, tracking, Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity, and other access, routing, or mobility functions. At least some of the BS 105s (e.g., instances of gNBs or Access Node Controllers (ANCs)) can interface with the core network via a backhaul link (e.g., NG-C, NG-U, etc.) and can perform radio configuration and scheduling for communication with the UE 115. In various instances, the BS 105s can communicate directly or indirectly (e.g., via the core network) with each other on a backhaul link (e.g., X1, X2, etc.), which can be a wired or wireless communication link.

[0041] Network 100 can also support mission-critical communication using highly reliable and redundant links for mission-critical devices (e.g., UE 115e, which could be a drone). Redundant communication links with UE 115e can include links from macro BSs 105d and 105e and links from small cell BS 105f. Other machine-type devices (e.g., UE 115f (e.g., a thermometer), UE 115g (e.g., a smart instrument), and UE 115h (e.g., a wearable device)) can communicate directly with the BSs (e.g., small cell BS 105f and macro BS 105e) via Network 100, or via another user device relaying its information to the network (e.g., UE 115f transmits temperature measurement information to a smart instrument (UE 115g), and the temperature measurement information is subsequently reported to the network via small cell BS 105f) in a multi-step configuration. Network 100 can also provide additional network efficiency via dynamic, low-latency TDD / FDD communications (such as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-everything (V2X), cellular V2X (C-V2X) communications between UE 115i, 115j, or 115k and other UE 115, and / or vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications between UE 115i, 115j, or 115k and BS 105). Additionally, BS 105b is shown as a non-terrestrial network (NTN) resource, such as a satellite orbiting the Earth. In this example, BS 105b may include multiple antenna arrays, each forming a relatively fixed beam. BS 105b can be configured as a single cell with multiple beams and BWPs, as explained in more detail below.

[0042] In some implementations, Network 100 uses OFDM-based waveforms for communication. OFDM-based systems can divide the system bandwidth (BW) into multiple (K) orthogonal subcarriers, which are often referred to as subcarriers, tones, bands, etc. Data can be used to modulate each subcarrier. In some cases, the subcarrier spacing between adjacent subcarriers can be fixed, and the total number of subcarriers (K) can depend on the system BW. The system BW can also be divided into subbands. In other cases, the subcarrier spacing and / or the duration of the time interval (TTI) can be scalable.

[0043] In some configurations, BS 105 can assign or schedule transmission resources (e.g., in the form of time-frequency resource blocks (RBs)) for downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) transmissions in network 100. DL refers to the transmission direction from BS 105 to UE 115, while UL refers to the transmission direction from UE 115 to BS 105. Communication can be in the form of wireless frames. A wireless frame can be divided into multiple subframes or time slots, for example, approximately 10. Each time slot can be further divided into micro-time slots. In FDD mode, simultaneous UL and DL transmissions can occur in different frequency bands. For example, each subframe includes UL subframes in the UL band and DL subframes in the DL band. In TDD mode, UL and DL transmissions occur using the same frequency band at different time periods. For example, a subset of subframes in a wireless frame (e.g., DL subframes) can be used for DL ​​transmissions, while another subset of subframes in the wireless frame (e.g., UL subframes) can be used for UL transmissions.

[0044] The DL subframe and UL subframe can be further divided into several regions. For example, each DL or UL subframe can have a predefined region for the transmission of reference signals, control information, and data. The reference signal is a predetermined signal that facilitates communication between BS 105 and UE 115. For example, the reference signal can have a specific pilot frequency pattern or structure, wherein the pilot frequency tone can span the operating BW or frequency band, and each pilot frequency tone is located at a predefined time and a predefined frequency. For example, BS 105 can transmit a cell-specific reference signal (CRS) and / or channel status information-reference signal (CSI-RS) to enable UE 115 to estimate the DL channel. Similarly, UE 115 can transmit a probe reference signal (SRS) to enable BS 105 to estimate the UL channel. Control information may include resource allocation and protocol control. Data may include protocol data and / or operational data. In some cases, BS 105 and UE 115 can communicate using self-contained subframes. A self-contained subframe may include portions for DL ​​communication and portions for UL communication. Self-contained subframes can be DL-centric or UL-centric. DL-centric subframes can include a longer duration for DL ​​communication (compared to UL communication). UL-centric subframes can include a longer duration for UL communication (compared to DL communication).

[0045] In some configurations, network 100 may be an NR network deployed on licensed spectrum. BS 105 may transmit synchronization signals (e.g., including primary synchronization signal (PSS) and secondary synchronization signal (SSS)) in network 100 to facilitate synchronization. BS 105 may broadcast system information associated with network 100 (e.g., including primary information block (MIB), residual system information (RMSI), and other system information (OSI)) to facilitate initial network access. In some cases, BS 105 may broadcast PSS, SSS, and / or MIB in the form of synchronization signal blocks (SSB) on the physical broadcast channel (PBCH), and may broadcast RMSI and / or OSI on the physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).

[0046] In some configurations, UE 115 attempting to access network 100 can perform an initial cell search by detecting a PSS from BS 105. The PSS can synchronize time-of-use data and indicate a physical layer identity value. Subsequently, UE 115 can receive an SSS. The SSS can synchronize radio frames and provide a cell identity value, which can be combined with the physical layer identity value to identify the cell. The PSS and SSS can be located in the center portion of the carrier or at any suitable frequency within the carrier.

[0047] After receiving the PSS and SSS, UE 115 can receive the MIB. The MIB may include system information for initial network access and scheduling information for RMSI and / or OSI. After decoding the MIB, UE 115 can receive the RMSI and / or OSI. The RMSI and / or OSI may include radio resource control (RRC) information related to RACH procedures, paging, control resource sets (CORESET) for physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) monitoring, PUCCH, PUSCH, power control, and SRS.

[0048] After obtaining the MIB, RMSI, and / or OSI, UE 115 can execute a random access procedure to establish a connection with BS 105. In some instances, the random access procedure can be a four-step random access procedure. For example, UE 115 can transmit a random access preamble, and BS 105 can respond with a random access response. The random access response (RAR) may include a detected random access preamble identifier (ID) corresponding to the random access preamble, timing advance (TA) information, UL permission, temporary cellular radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI), and / or shift indicator. Upon receiving the random access response, UE 115 can transmit a connection request to BS 105, and BS 105 can respond with a connection response. The connection response may indicate contention resolution. In some instances, the random access preamble, RAR, connection request, and connection response can be referred to as Message 1 (MSG1), Message 2 (MSG2), Message 3 (MSG3), and Message 4 (MSG4), respectively. In some instances, the random access procedure can be a two-step random access procedure, where UE 115 can transmit the random access preamble and connection request in a single transmission, and BS 105 can respond by transmitting the random access response and connection response in a single transmission.

[0049] After the connection is established, UE 115 and BS 105 can enter the normal operation phase, during which they can exchange operational data. For example, BS 105 can schedule UE 115 to perform UL and / or DL ​​communication. BS 105 can transmit UL and / or DL ​​scheduling permissions to UE 115 via PDCCH. The scheduling permissions can be transmitted in the form of DL control information (DCI). BS 105 can transmit DL communication signals (e.g., carrying data) to UE 115 via PDSCH according to the DL scheduling permissions. UE 115 can transmit UL communication signals to BS 105 via PUSCH and / or PUCCH according to the UL scheduling permissions.

[0050] In some configurations, BS 105 can use Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) technology to communicate with UE 115 to improve communication reliability, such as providing Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) service. BS 105 can schedule PDSCH communication with UE 115 by transmitting DL acknowledgments in the PDSCH. BS 105 can transmit DL data packets to UE 115 according to the schedule in the PDSCH. DL data packets can be transmitted in transport blocks (TBs). If UE 115 successfully receives the DL data packet, UE 115 can transmit a HARQ ACK to BS 105. Conversely, if UE 115 fails to receive the DL transmission, UE 115 can transmit a HARQ NACK to BS 105. After receiving a HARQ NACK from UE 115, BS 105 can retransmit the DL data packet to UE 115. The retransmission may include the same decoded version of the DL data as the initial transmission. Alternatively, retransmissions may include a decoded version of the DL data that differs from the initial transmission. UE 115 can apply soft combining to combine the encoded data received from the initial transmission and retransmissions for decoding. BS 105 and UE 115 can also use a mechanism substantially similar to DL HARQ to apply HARQ to UL communications.

[0051] In some configurations, network 100 can operate on a system BW or a component carrier (CC) BW. Network 100 can divide the system BW into multiple BWPs (e.g., portions). BS 105 can dynamically assign UE 115 to operate on a specific BWP (e.g., a specific portion of the system BW). The assigned BWP can be referred to as the active BWP. UE 115 can monitor the active BWP based on signaling information from BS 105. BS 105 can schedule UE 115 to perform UL or DL ​​communication on the active BWP. In some configurations, BS 105 can assign a pair of BWPs within a CC to UE 115 for both UL and DL communication. For example, a BWP pair may include one BWP for UL communication and one BWP for DL ​​communication.

[0052] In some configurations, network 100 can operate on a shared channel, which may include a shared frequency band or an unlicensed frequency band. For example, network 100 may be an NR unlicensed (NR-U) network. BS 105 and UE 115 may be operated by multiple network operating entities. To avoid conflicts, BS 105 and UE 115 may employ a Listen-After-Talk (LBT) procedure to monitor transmission opportunities (TXOPs) in the shared channel. For example, a transmission node (e.g., BS 105 or UE 115) may perform an LBT before transmitting in the channel. When the LBT passes, the transmission node may continue transmitting. When the LBT fails, the transmission node may avoid transmitting in the channel. In one instance, LBT may be based on energy detection. For example, when the signal energy measured from the channel is below a threshold, LBT causes it to pass. Conversely, when the signal energy measured from the channel exceeds the threshold, LBT causes it to fail. In another instance, LBT may be based on signal detection. For example, LBT causes passage when no channel reserved signal (e.g., a pre-defined preceding signal) is detected in the channel.

[0053] In some configurations, network 100 can operate in high-frequency bands, such as frequency range 1 (FR1) or frequency range 2 (FR2). FR1 can refer to frequencies below 6 GHz, and FR2 can refer to frequencies in the mm-wave range. To overcome high path loss at high frequencies, BS 105 and UE 115 can communicate with each other using directional beams. For example, BS 105 can transmit SSBs by scanning a predefined set of beam directions and can repeat SSB transmissions at time intervals within the set of beam directions to allow UE 115 to perform initial network access. In an example of BS 105b (shown as an NTN resource), BS 105b can transmit SSBs on each of its beams at scheduled times, even if the beams are not directional. In some cases, each beam and its corresponding characteristics can be identified via a beam index. For example, each SSB can include an indication of the beam index corresponding to the beam used for SSB transmission. UE 115 can determine the signal measurements of the SSB (such as Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) and / or Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ)) at different beam directions and select the optimal DL beam. UE 115 can indicate the selection by transmitting a Physical Random Access Channel (PRACH) signal (e.g., MSG1) using PRACH resources associated with the selected beam direction. For example, the SSB transmitted in a specific beam direction or on a specific beam can indicate the PRACH resources that UE 115 can use to communicate with BS 105 in that specific beam direction. After selecting the optimal DL beam, UE 115 can complete the random access procedure (e.g., 4-step random access or 2-step random access) and continue network registration and normal operation data exchange with BS 105.

[0054] In some configurations, network 100 can be an IoT network, and UE 115 can be an IoT node, such as a smart printer, monitor, gaming node, camera, audio / video (AV) production equipment, industrial IoT device, etc. The payload data size of the IoT node can typically be relatively small, for example, on the order of tens of bytes. In some configurations, network 100 can be a large-scale IoT network serving tens of thousands of nodes (e.g., UE 115) on a high-frequency band (such as FR1 or FR2 band).

[0055] Figure 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary design of UE 115 in Figure 1. Depending on some configuration, UE 115 can perform the actions of Figures 4, 5, and 8, including configuring itself to operate at a discrete bandwidth level containing less than the full uplink bandwidth. Furthermore, such functionality can be stored as computer-executable code in memory 282 and executed by a data processor / controller 280. When the data processor / controller 280 executes the code, it can implement the logic units described in Figure 8 and, in response, tune the transmitter hardware. This transmitter hardware is illustrated in whole or in part by antenna interface circuitry 224, power amplifier 254, and transmission circuitry 252.

[0056] In this exemplary design, wireless device 110 includes a transceiver 220 coupled to a main antenna 210, a transceiver 222 coupled to a secondary antenna 212, and a data processor / controller 280. Transceiver 220 includes multiple (K) receivers 230pa to 230pk and multiple (K) transmitters 250pa to 250pk to support multiple frequency bands, multiple radio technologies, carrier aggregation, etc. Transceiver 222 includes L receivers 230sa to 230sl and L transmitters 250sa to 250sl to support multiple frequency bands, multiple radio technologies, carrier aggregation, receive diversity, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission from multiple transmit antennas to multiple receive antennas, etc.

[0057] In the exemplary design shown in Figure 2, each receiver 230 includes a low-noise amplifier (LNA) 240 and a receiving circuit 242. For data reception, antenna 210 receives signals from the BS and / or other transmitter stations and provides the received radio frequency (RF) signal, which can be routed via antenna interface circuitry 224 and presented as an input RF signal to the selected receiver. Antenna interface circuitry 224 may include switches, duplexers, transmission filters, reception filters, matching circuitry, etc. The following description assumes that receiver 230pa is the selected receiver. Within receiver 230pa, LNA 240pa amplifies the input RF signal and provides an output RF signal. Receiving circuitry 242pa downconverts the output RF signal from RF to baseband, amplifies and filters the downconverted signal, and provides an analog input signal to data processor 280. Receiving circuitry 242pa may include mixers, filters, amplifiers, matching circuitry, oscillators, local end oscillator (LO) generators, phase-locked loops (PLLs), etc. The remaining receiver 230 of each of transceivers 220 and 222 can operate in a manner similar to receiver 230pa.

[0058] In the exemplary design shown in Figure 2, each transmitter 250 includes transmission circuitry 252 and a power amplifier (PA) 254. For data transmission, a data processor 280 processes (e.g., encodes and modulates) the data to be transmitted and provides an analog output signal to the selected transmitter. The following description assumes that transmitter 250pa is the selected transmitter. Within transmitter 250pa, transmission circuitry 252pa amplifies, filters, and up-converts the analog output signal from baseband to RF, and provides a modulated RF signal. Transmission circuitry 252pa may include amplifiers, filters, mixers, matching circuitry, oscillators, LO generators, phase-locked loops (PLLs), etc. PA 254pa receives and amplifies the modulated RF signal and provides a transmitted RF signal with the correct output power level. The transmitted RF signal may be routed via antenna interface circuitry 224 and transmitted via antenna 210. The remaining transmitters 250 of each of transceivers 220 and 222 may operate in a similar manner to transmitter 250pa.

[0059] Continuing with this example, when the data processor / controller 280 issues a command signal to configure the UE 115 to operate within a discrete bandwidth level, the data processor / controller 280 can energize or de-energize the individual power amplifiers 254 in the power amplifiers 254, and the data processor / controller 280 can configure filters, mixers, matching circuits, oscillators, LO generators, and PLLs to operate at a specific center frequency or frequency range to support the bandwidth level.

[0060] Figure 2 illustrates an exemplary design of receiver 230 and transmitter 250. The receiver and transmitter may also include other circuitry not shown in Figure 2, such as filters, matching circuits, etc. All or part of transceivers 220 and 222 may be implemented on one or more analog ICs, RF ICs (RFICs), mixed-signal ICs, etc. For example, the LNA 240 and receiver circuitry 242 within transceivers 220 and 222 may be implemented on multiple IC chips, as described below. The circuitry within transceivers 220 and 222 may also be implemented in other ways.

[0061] The data processor / controller 280 can perform various functions for the wireless device 110. For example, the data processor 280 can process data received via receiver 230 and data transmitted via transmitter 250. The controller 280 can control the operation of various circuits within transceivers 220 and 222. The memory 282 can store program code and data for the data processor / controller 280. The data processor / controller 280 can be implemented on one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and / or other ICs.

[0062] Figure 3 is a timing diagram illustrating some configurations of a radio communication frame structure 300 according to the present invention. In a network such as network 100, a BS such as BS 105 and a UE such as UE 115 can communicate using the radio communication frame structure 300. Specifically, the BS can communicate with the UE using time-frequency resources configured as shown in the radio communication frame structure 300. In Figure 3, the x-axis represents time in some arbitrary unit, and the y-axis represents frequency in some arbitrary unit. The radio communication frame structure 300 includes a radio communication frame 301. The duration of the radio communication frame 301 can vary depending on the configuration. In one instance, the radio communication frame 301 can have a duration of approximately ten milliseconds. The radio communication frame 301 includes M time slots 302, where M can be any suitable positive integer. In one instance, M can be approximately 10.

[0063] Each time slot 302 includes multiple subcarriers 304 in frequency and multiple symbols 306 in time. The number of subcarriers 304 and / or symbols 306 in the time slot 302 can vary according to various patterns (e.g., based on channel bandwidth, subcarrier spacing (SCS), and / or cellular processor (CP) mode). A subcarrier 304 in frequency and a symbol 306 in time form a resource element (RE) 312 for transmission. A resource block (RB) 310 is formed by multiple consecutive subcarriers 304 in frequency and multiple consecutive symbols 306 in time.

[0064] In one instance, the BS (e.g., BS 105 in Figure 1) can schedule UE (e.g., UE 115 in Figures 1 and 2) for UL and / or DL ​​communication using time-granularity of time slots 302 or micro-time slots 308. Each time slot 302 can be divided into K micro-time slots 308 in time (the integer K can be the same as or different from the integer K in Figure 2). Each micro-time slot 308 can include one or more symbols 306. The micro-time slots 308 in the time slot 302 can have variable lengths. For example, when the time slot 302 includes N symbols 306, the micro-time slot 308 can have a length between one symbol 306 and (N-1) symbols 306. In some cases, the micro-time slot 308 can have a length of approximately two symbols 306, approximately four symbols 306, or approximately seven symbols 306. In some instances, the BS can schedule the UE based on the frequency nuances of resource block (RB) 310 (e.g., comprising approximately 12 subcarriers 304).

[0065] Figure 4 illustrates an exemplary table of transmission bandwidth configuration levels for an exemplary UE according to one embodiment. Specifically, the table in Figure 4 shows the maximum transmission bandwidth for a configuration with N resource blocks (RBs), where the number N may be the same as or different from the number N in Figure 3.

[0066] The top row contains multiple entries, each corresponding to a discrete bandwidth level supported by the UE. For example, there are a total of 12 discrete bandwidth levels, ranging from 5 MHz to 100 MHz. In some instances, the number and value of discrete bandwidth levels are a function of the UE's underlying hardware. In other words, the values ​​shown in the table in Figure 4 are merely examples; other UEs may have different numbers of discrete bandwidth levels, different values ​​for different bandwidth levels, and different underlying hardware supporting those discrete bandwidth levels.

[0067] For the exemplary UE, the supported discrete bandwidth levels are known at design time, but can also be explored using testing or simulation. Examples of underlying hardware affecting multiple discrete bandwidth levels may include multiple PLLs that provide sampling frequencies for the UE's transceiver. For example, higher bandwidth may require higher sampling frequencies, and this situation might involve using different PLLs or multiple PLLs or other hardware to provide higher sampling frequencies compared to lower sampling frequencies. The same applies to mixers, LOs, power amplifiers, up-conversion converters, basebands, and digital chains. Exemplary hardware has been described above with reference to Figure 2. In other words, in some instances, a higher discrete bandwidth level may require additional hardware power or use more current to drive existing hardware compared to a lower discrete bandwidth level. Therefore, tuning the exemplary UE to support a 25 MHz discrete bandwidth level may use more power than tuning the UE to support a 5 MHz discrete bandwidth level. Similarly, tuning the UE to support a 100 MHz bandwidth level may use more power than tuning the UE to support a 25 MHz bandwidth level. Tuning the hardware in the UE to support lower discrete bandwidth levels can include powering some hardware while not powering others, reducing the clock frequency, reducing the operating voltage or operating current, and so on.

[0068] Tuning hardware may include selecting operating modes for components such as power amplifiers. For example, operating a power amplifier in envelope tracking (ET) mode may be more efficient than operating it in average power tracking (APT) mode. In one instance, the power amplifier may support ET up to a first bandwidth level, but APT may be used for bandwidth levels higher than the first bandwidth level and up to the full bandwidth level. Therefore, if the discrete bandwidth level supports ET, the tuning hardware may include placing the power amplifier in ET mode to take advantage of the power savings and lower noise of ET compared to APT.

[0069] The leftmost column of the table in Figure 4 shows the different subcarrier spacings, and the row to the right of the leftmost column shows the number of RBs to support the bandwidth level using these subcarriers.

[0070] Figure 5 is a table of exemplary uplink characteristics for an exemplary BS according to one embodiment. For example, the network can assign these characteristics, and the UE communicating with the base station can be adapted to them. According to the example in Figure 5, the full uplink bandwidth is 100 MHz, RACH is assigned at resource block 114, and PUCCH is assigned at blocks 112 and 159. Referring to the example in Figure 4, the 100 MHz uplink bandwidth corresponds to 273 resource blocks with 30 kHz subcarriers. Therefore, for ease of illustration in this example, it is assumed that the uplink uses 30 kHz subcarriers, and that some subset of the 273 resource blocks will be used to assign PUSCH.

[0071] When the UE and BS negotiate to establish communication, the UE can transmit RRC UE capability information elements to the BS. In one exemplary embodiment, the UE can parse its own RRC UE capability information elements to determine whether it supports discontinuous PUSCH allocation by deciding whether to support PUSCH allocation type-0 or type-1. Allocation type-1 does not support discontinuous allocation, while allocation type-0 supports discontinuous allocation. Continuing with the exemplary embodiment, the BS can also parse the RRC UE capability information elements to determine the UE's capabilities. Furthermore, when the UE and BS negotiate, the BS can send control messages to the UE to notify the UE of bandwidth, RACH assignment, and PUCCH assignment, as well as the allocation of PUSCH to a subset of RBs.

[0072] Once the UE decides that it does not support discontinuous PUSCH allocation, it can perform power-saving techniques by tuning itself to support a portion rather than all of the 100 MHz full uplink bandwidth. In this example, resource blocks are numbered 0-272, and RACH is assigned at RB 114, while PUCCH is assigned at 112 and 159. Therefore, the BS can allocate either the first range of resource blocks 0-111 or the second range of resource blocks 160-272 for PUSCH during a given frame period.

[0073] Given this constraint, the UE can then calculate a first bandwidth associated with the first range and a second bandwidth associated with the second range. For the first range of resource blocks 0-111, the bandwidth can be calculated by multiplying the number of subcarriers (e.g., 12) by the subcarrier spacing (e.g., 30 kHz) by the number of resource blocks in the range (112). Therefore, the bandwidth for the first range of resource blocks is 40.32 MHz. A similar calculation for the second range of resource blocks yields a bandwidth of 40.68 MHz. Taking the maximum of the two yields the larger bandwidth of 40.68 MHz.

[0074] Now consider Figure 4, which features a discrete bandwidth level of 40 MHz and another discrete bandwidth level of 50 MHz. To support 40.68 MHz, the UE can configure its hardware at the 50 MHz discrete bandwidth level. This discrete bandwidth level is smaller than the 100 MHz full uplink bandwidth assigned by the network, as shown in Figure 5. In other words, the UE can tune its hardware to use approximately half of the available uplink bandwidth, a move typically expected to result in power savings and improved performance, as discussed above.

[0075] Figure 6 is a block diagram of an exemplary UE 600 according to some aspects of the present invention. UE 600 may be UE 115 discussed above in Figures 1 and 2, and Figure 6 shows another way of expressing the concepts described above with respect to Figure 2. As shown, UE 600 may include a processor 602, memory 604, beamforming module 608, transceiver 610 including a modem subsystem 612 and a radio frequency (RF) unit 614, and one or more antennas 616. These components may communicate directly or indirectly with each other, for example, via one or more buses.

[0076] Processor 602 may include a central processing unit (CPU), digital signal processor (DSP), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), controller, field-programmable gate array (FPGA) device, another hardware device, firmware device, or any combination thereof configured to perform the operations described herein. Processor 602 may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors and a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0077] Memory 604 may include cache memory (e.g., the cache memory of processor 602), random access memory (RAM), magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electronically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, solid-state memory devices, hard disks, other forms of volatile and non-volatile memory, or combinations of different types of memory. In one configuration, memory 604 includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium. Memory 604 may store or have instructions 606 recorded thereon. Instructions 606 may include instructions that, when executed by processor 602, cause processor 602 to perform the operations described herein in accordance with the configurations (e.g., the configurations of Figures 4, 5, and 8) as described in UE 115. Instructions 606 may also be referred to as program code. Program code can be used to cause a wireless communication device to perform such operations, for example, by causing one or more processors (such as processor 602) to control or command the wireless communication device to do so. The terms "instruction" and "code" should be interpreted broadly to include any type of computer-readable statement. For example, the terms "instruction" and "code" can represent one or more programs, routines, subroutines, functions, procedures, etc. "Instruction" and "code" can include a single computer-readable statement or multiple computer-readable statements.

[0078] Beam module 608 can be implemented via hardware, software, or a combination thereof. For example, beam module 608 can be implemented as a processor, circuitry, and / or instructions 606 stored in memory 604 and executed by processor 602. In some cases, beam module 608 can be integrated within modem subsystem 612. For example, beam module 608 can be implemented via a combination of software components (e.g., executed by a DSP or general-purpose processor) and hardware components (e.g., logic gates and circuitry) within modem subsystem 612. In some instances, beam module 608 can be used for beamforming and beam recovery.

[0079] As shown in the figure, transceiver 610 may include a modem subsystem 612 and an RF unit 614. Transceiver 610 may be configured to communicate bidirectionally with other devices (such as BS 105). Modem subsystem 612 may be configured to modulate and / or encode data from memory 604 and / or beamforming module 608 according to a modulation and decoding scheme (MCS) (e.g., low-density peer checking (LDPC) decoding scheme, turbo decoding scheme, cyclotron decoding scheme, digital beamforming scheme, etc.). RF unit 614 can be configured to process modulated / coded data (e.g., PUCCH control information, PRACH signals, PUSCH data, beamfining requests, beam fault recovery (BFR) requests, beam switching commands, reference signals) from modem subsystem 612 (regarding outbound transmissions) or modulated / coded data transmitted from another source (such as UE 115 or BS 105) (e.g., performing analog-to-digital conversion or digital-to-analog conversion, etc.). RF unit 614 can also be configured to perform analog beamforming in conjunction with digital beamforming via beamforming module 608. Although shown as integrated in transceiver 610, modem subsystem 612 and RF unit 614 can be separate devices coupled together at UE 115 to enable UE 115 to communicate with other devices.

[0080] RF unit 614 can provide modulated and / or processed data (e.g., data packets (or more generally, data messages that may contain one or more data packets and other information)) to antenna 616 for transmission to one or more other devices. Antenna 616 can also receive data messages transmitted from other devices. Antenna 616 can provide the received data messages for processing and / or demodulation at transceiver 610. Transceiver 610 can provide demodulated and decoded data (e.g., SSB, PDCCH, PDSCH, beam switching commands, CSI-RS resource configuration, CSI-RS report configuration, BFR resource configuration) to beamforming module 608 for processing. Antenna 616 may include multiple antennas with similar or different designs to maintain multiple transmission links. RF unit 614 can configure antenna 616.

[0081] In one configuration, UE 600 may include multiple transceivers 610 implementing different Radio Access Technologies (RATs) (e.g., NR and LTE). In one configuration, UE 600 may include a single transceiver 610 implementing multiple RATs (e.g., NR and LTE). In one configuration, transceiver 610 may include various elements, wherein different combinations of elements can implement different RATs.

[0082] Figure 7 is a block diagram of an exemplary BS 700 according to some aspects of the present invention. BS 700 may be BS 105 in network 100 as discussed above in Figure 1. As shown, BS 700 may include a processor 702, memory 704, beamforming module 708, transceiver 710 including modem subsystem 712 and RF unit 714, and one or more antennas 716. These components may communicate directly or indirectly with each other, for example, via one or more buses.

[0083] Processor 702 may have various features as a type-specific processor. For example, such processors may include a CPU, DSP, ASIC, controller, FPGA device, another hardware device, firmware device, or any combination thereof configured to perform the operations described herein. Processor 702 may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors and a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0084] Memory 704 may include cache memory (e.g., the cache memory of processor 702), RAM, MRAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory, solid-state memory devices, one or more hard drives, memristor-based arrays, other forms of volatile and non-volatile memory, or combinations of different types of memory. In some embodiments, memory 704 may include non-transitory computer-readable media. Memory 704 may store instructions 706. Instructions 706 may include instructions that, when executed by processor 702, cause processor 702 to perform the operations described herein (e.g., assigning resource blocks and scheduling PUSCH). Instructions 706 may also be referred to as code, which can be broadly interpreted to include any type of computer-readable statement, as discussed above with respect to Figure 6. Beam module 708 may be used for beamforming and beam recovery.

[0085] As shown in the figure, transceiver 710 may include a modem subsystem 712 and an RF unit 714. Transceiver 710 can be configured to communicate bidirectionally with other devices (such as UE 115 and / or 300 and / or another core network element). Modem subsystem 712 can be configured to modulate and / or encode data according to an MCS (e.g., LDPC decoding scheme, turbo decoding scheme, cyclotron decoding scheme, digital beamforming scheme, etc.). RF unit 714 can be configured to process modulated / encoded data (e.g., SSB, RMSI, MIB, System Information Block - SIB, Frame-based Device - FBE Configuration, PRACH Configuration PDCCH, PDSCH) from modem subsystem 712 (regarding outbound transmissions) or modulated / encoded data transmitted from another source (such as UE 115, Node 315, and / or BS 700) (e.g., performing analog-to-digital conversion or digital-to-analog conversion, etc.). RF unit 714 can also be configured to perform analog beamforming via beamforming in conjunction with digital beamforming through beamforming module 708. Although shown as integrated in transceiver 710, modem subsystem 712 and / or RF unit 714 can be separate devices, coupled together at BS 105 to enable BS 105 to communicate with other devices.

[0086] RF unit 714 can provide modulated and / or processed data (e.g., data packets (or more generally, data messages containing one or more data packets and other information)) to antenna 716 for transmission to one or more other devices. Antenna 716 can be similar to antennas 210 and 212 discussed above. For example, according to some embodiments of this invention, this can include the transmission of information to complete attachment to a network and communication with a resident UE 115 or 215. Antenna 716 can also receive data messages transmitted from other devices and provide the received data messages for processing and / or demodulation at transceiver 710. Transceiver 710 can provide demodulated and decoded data (e.g., PUCCH control information, PRACH signals, PUSCH data) to beamforming module 708 for processing. Antenna 716 can include multiple antennas with similar or different designs to maintain multiple transmission links.

[0087] In one instance, transceiver 710 is configured to transmit system information to the UE, including FBE configurations indicating a plurality of frame periods, each frame period including a contention gap period at the beginning of the frame period, and to communicate with the UE based on the FBE configurations, for example, via coordination with beam module 708.

[0088] In one configuration, the BS 700 may include multiple transceivers 710 implementing different RATs (e.g., NR and LTE). In another configuration, the BS 700 may include a single transceiver 710 implementing multiple RATs (e.g., NR and LTE). In yet another configuration, the transceiver 710 may include various components, where different combinations of components can implement different RATs.

[0089] Figure 8 is a flowchart of a method 800 according to some embodiments of the present invention. Method 800 can be implemented by any UE 115 in network 100 (as shown in Figure 1). For example, UE 115 can utilize one or more components (such as processor 602 or 280, memory 604 or 282, transceiver 610, 220 or 222, and one or more antennas 616, 210 or 212) to perform the steps of method 800. As shown, method 800 includes multiple enumerated steps, but implementation of method 800 may include additional steps before, after, and between the enumerated steps. In some embodiments, one or more steps in the enumerated steps may be omitted or performed in a different order.

[0090] At action 810, the UE identifies resource block assignments for non-data uplink resources within the resource block set. Examples of non-data uplink resources include RACH, and the UE can identify resource block assignments from the RACH information element sent by the BS during communication establishment.

[0091] However, the scope of the embodiments is not limited to any type of non-data uplink resource. The UE can also use other information elements sent by the BS to identify resource block assignments for SRS, PUCCH, etc. For example, in the example of Figure 5, the UE identifies resource block assignments for both RACH and PUCCH.

[0092] At action 820, the UE determines the first range of resource blocks under the resource block assignment for non-data uplink resources. In the example of Figure 5, the first range of resource blocks is under resource block 112 assigned to RACH. In this example, the range of resource blocks under a specific resource block includes resource blocks with subcarriers having a lower frequency than the subcarriers assigned to non-data uplink resources.

[0093] Action 820 may also include: determining a second range of resource blocks above the resource block assignment. In this example, the range of resource blocks above a particular resource block includes resource blocks having subcarriers with higher frequencies than those assigned to non-data uplink resources. In the example of Figure 5, the second range of resource blocks is above resource block 159 assigned to the PUCCH. In instances where the UE does not support non-contiguous PUSCH allocation, both the first and second ranges of resource blocks cannot be used during a single frame, but each can be used in different frames assigned by the network. Therefore, the PUSCH bandwidth can be limited to a portion smaller than the full uplink bandwidth assigned by the network.

[0094] At action 830, the UE can calculate the first bandwidth associated with the first range of the resource block. Examples are provided above with reference to Figures 4 and 5, where the number of subcarriers is multiplied by the number of SCS and the number of resource blocks to provide the bandwidth.

[0095] Action 830 may also include calculating a second bandwidth associated with a second range of resource blocks, similar to calculating the first bandwidth, but possibly with a different number of resource blocks. For example, in the examples of Figures 4 and 5, one range of resource blocks includes 112 resource blocks, while another range includes 113 resource blocks, and therefore the bandwidth is slightly larger.

[0096] In another implementation, the UE can simply select the range of resource blocks with a larger number of resource blocks and calculate the bandwidth of that range. In other words, in some implementations, the UE can omit calculating the bandwidth associated with the smaller range of resource blocks.

[0097] At action 840, the UE configures itself to operate within a discrete bandwidth level sufficient to include the largest of the first and second bandwidths. In other words, the UE can configure itself to operate within a larger discrete bandwidth level sufficient to include resource blocks. The example of discrete bandwidth levels illustrated in Figure 4 is given above. Action 840 may also include the UE transmitting user data on the PUSCH within a discrete bandwidth level.

[0098] As explained above regarding Figure 4, the discrete bandwidth level can depend on the underlying hardware of the UE, allowing the UE to be tuned for different discrete bandwidth levels by powering on different hardware components, setting operating modes, and providing different clock frequencies, voltages, and currents. For example, in some instances, tuning the hardware to support the discrete bandwidth level may include powering on some power amplifiers while powering off others, setting the operating modes of the power amplifiers, setting the clock sampling frequency to an appropriate level, and so on.

[0099] Action 840 may include: tuning the UE to operate within an appropriate discrete bandwidth level smaller than the full uplink bandwidth assigned by the network. For example, in an instance where the full uplink bandwidth is 100 MHz and the UE tunes itself to operate within a discrete bandwidth level of 50 MHz, the UE may not be able to provide the full 100 MHz bandwidth without retuning its hardware. However, because it is tuned to a bandwidth smaller than the full uplink bandwidth, the UE can benefit from lower power consumption, lower noise, and better performance characteristics, which can be measured, for example, via SNR and EVM. Action 840 may also include: communicating with the network on a data channel such as PUSCH within a discrete bandwidth level.

[0100] The scope of this embodiment is not limited to the actions of method 800, as other embodiments may add, omit, modify, or rearrange various actions as appropriate. For example, method 800 may be repeated each time the UE establishes or re-establishes communication with the BS.

[0101] Furthermore, some embodiments may execute method 800 for each of the multiple ports supporting uplink in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) device. For example, UE 115 of FIG2 is shown to have multiple inputs among multiple outputs, and method 800 may be executed for each of those outputs supporting uplink communication. Additionally, method 800 may be repeated for each carrier of a carrier aggregation scheme.

[0102] In another instance, method 800 may also include an action in which the UE determines whether it supports non-contiguous PUSCH allocation. Such an action may include the UE resolving its own settings or resolving and RRC capability information elements, which identifies whether it supports either or both of PUSCH allocation type-0 and type-1. In fact, some embodiments may conditionally perform any combination of actions 810-840 when it is determined that the UE does not support PUSCH allocation type-0.

[0103] Furthermore, some embodiments may perform any combination of actions 810-840 after determining that a certain threshold has been met or exceeded. For example, after detecting that the UE battery is below a threshold and / or the UE uplink block error rate (BLER) is above a threshold, the UE may perform one or more of actions 810-840.

[0104] Information and signals can be represented using any of a variety of different techniques and methods. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips mentioned throughout the above description can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, light fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0105] The various illustrative blocks and modules described in conjunction with the contents disclosed herein can be implemented or executed using a general-purpose processor, DSP, ASIC, FPGA or other programmable logic device, individual gate or transistor logic, individual hardware element or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but alternatively, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller 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, a combination of one or more microprocessors and a DSP core, or any other such configuration).

[0106] The functions described herein can be implemented using hardware, processor-executed software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented using processor-executed software, such functions can be stored as one or more instructions or codes on or transmitted via a computer-readable medium. Other examples and implementations are within the scope of this document and the appended claims. For example, due to the nature of software, the functions described above can be implemented using processor-executed software, hardware, firmware, hardwired, or any combination thereof. Features implementing the functions can also be located at various physical locations, including being distributed such that different parts of the functions are implemented at different physical locations. Furthermore, as used herein (including in the claims), "or" as used in a list of projects (e.g., a list of projects ending with phrases such as "at least one of" or "one or more of") indicates an inclusive list, such that a list such as [at least one of A, B, or C] means A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C).

[0107] As those skilled in the art will understand by now, and depending on the specific application at the time, numerous modifications, substitutions, and alterations can be made to the materials, apparatus, configuration, and methods of use of the device described herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Therefore, the scope of this application should not be limited to the specific implementations described herein (as they are only described through some examples), but should be fully equivalent to the claims appended below and their functional equivalents.

[0108] 100: Wireless communication network 105a:BS 105b:BS 105c:BS 105d:BS 105e:BS 105f:BS 112: Block 114: Resource Block 115:UE 115a:UE 115b:UE 115c:UE 115d:UE 115e:UE 115f:UE 115g:UE 115h:UE 115i:UE 115j:UE 115k:UE 159: Block 210: Antenna 212: Antenna 220: Transceiver 222: Transceiver 224: Antenna Interface Circuit 230pa: Receiver 230pk: Receiver 230sa: Receiver 230sl: Receiver 240pa:LNA 240pk:LNA 240sa:LNA 240sl:LNA 242pa: Receiver circuit 242pk: Receiver circuit 242sa: Receiver circuit 242sl: Receiver circuit 250pa: Transmitter 250pk: Transmitter 250sa: Transmitter 250sl: Transmitter 252pa: Transmission circuit 252pk: Transmission circuit 252sa: Transmission circuit 252sl: Transmission circuit 254pa:PA 254pk:PA 254sa:PA 254sl:PA 280: Data Processor / Controller 282: Memory 300: Radio communication frame structure 301: Radio frame 302: Time Slot 304: Subcarrier 306: Symbol 308: Microtime Slot 310: Resource Block (RB) 312: Resource Elements (RE) 600:UE 602: Processor 604: Memory 606: Instruction 608: Beam Module 610: Transceiver 612: Data Subsystem 614: RF Unit 616: Antenna 700:BS 702: Processor 704: Memory 706: Instruction 708: Beam Module 710: Transceiver 712: Data Subsystem 714: RF Unit 716: Antenna 800: Method 810: Action 820: Action 830: Action 840: Action

[0109] Domestic storage information (please note in order of storage institution, date, and number) none Overseas storage information (please note in the order of storage country, institution, date, and number) none

Claims

1. A method for wireless communication, the method comprising the steps of: identifying a resource block assignment for a non-data uplink resource within a set of resource blocks; determining a first range of a resource block and a second range of a resource block, wherein the first range of the resource block includes a first plurality of resource blocks having a subcarrier with a frequency lower than that of a primary carrier associated with the non-data uplink resource, and wherein the second range of the resource block includes a second plurality of resource blocks having a subcarrier with a frequency higher than that of the primary carrier associated with the non-data uplink resource; calculating a first bandwidth associated with the first range of the resource block and calculating a second bandwidth associated with the second range of the resource block; and configuring a first wireless communication device to operate within a discrete bandwidth level sufficient to include the larger of the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth, wherein the discrete bandwidth level is smaller than a full uplink bandwidth assigned by a network serving the first wireless communication device.

2. The method according to request item 1, wherein determining the first extent of the resource block is performed in response to determining that the first wireless communication device does not support Entity UL Shared Channel (PUSCH) allocation type-0.

3. The method according to request item 1, wherein determining the first extent of the resource block is performed in response to determining that the first wireless communication device does not support non-contiguous entity UL shared channel (PUSCH) allocation.

4. The method according to Request 1 also includes the following steps: determining that the first wireless communication device does not support discontinuous entity UL shared channel (PUSCH) allocation by parsing a Radio Resource Control (RRC) capability information element.

5. The method of request item 1, wherein the non-data uplink resource includes one selected from a list of the following: a random access channel (RACH), a sounding reference signal (SRS), and a physical UL control channel (PUCCH).

6. According to the method of request item 1, wherein the non-data uplink resource does not carry user data.

7. According to the method of request item 1, wherein the non-data uplink resource carries control data.

8. According to the method of request item 1, wherein the non-data uplink resource includes one item selected from a list consisting of: a signal and a channel.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless communication device includes a user equipment (UE).

10. The method according to claim 1 also includes the following steps: transmitting user data with the network over a physical UL shared channel (PUSCH) within the discrete bandwidth level.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of configuring the first wireless communication device includes the following steps: tuning the hardware within the first wireless communication device to support the discrete bandwidth level.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of tuning the hardware includes the step of supplying power to a power amplifier within the first wireless communication device.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of tuning the hardware includes the following steps: setting a sampling frequency of a clock in the first wireless communication device.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of configuring the first wireless communication device includes the following steps: tuning the transceiver hardware in the first wireless communication device to not support the full uplink bandwidth.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the first wireless communication device is performed in response to a determination that a battery level of the first wireless communication device has dropped below a threshold.

16. The method of request item 1, wherein configuring the first wireless communication device is performed in response to determining that an uplink block error rate (BLER) has risen above a threshold.

17. A wireless communication device, comprising: A transceiver configured to communicate with a network on an uplink channel; A processor configured to: identify a resource block assignment for a non-data uplink resource within a set of resource blocks; calculate a first bandwidth for a first range of a resource block and a second bandwidth for a second range of a resource block, wherein the first range of the resource block includes a first plurality of resource blocks having a subcarrier with a frequency lower than that of a primary carrier associated with the non-data uplink resource, and wherein the second range of the resource block includes a second plurality of resource blocks having a subcarrier with a frequency higher than that of the primary carrier associated with the non-data uplink resource; and configure the transceiver to operate within a discrete bandwidth level sufficient to include the larger of the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth, wherein the discrete bandwidth level is smaller than a full uplink bandwidth assigned by the network.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the apparatus includes a user equipment (UE).

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the transceiver includes a clock, and wherein the processor is operable to configure the transceiver via setting a sampling frequency of the clock.

20. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the uplink channel includes a physical UL shared channel (PUSCH).

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the processor is also configured to communicate with the network on the PUSCH according to the discrete bandwidth level.

22. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the processor is also configured to: parse a Radio Resource Control (RRC) capability information element to determine that the apparatus does not support discontinuous entity UL shared channel (PUSCH) allocation.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the transceiver includes a power amplifier, and wherein the processor is operable to configure the transceiver by setting the power amplifier to an envelope tracking mode.

24. An apparatus including a non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon, which, when executed by a processor of the apparatus, causes the apparatus to perform the following operations: receiving an information element from a base station, the information element defining a resource block assignment for a non-data uplink resource; calculating a first bandwidth for a first range of a resource block, and calculating a second bandwidth for a second range of a resource block, wherein the first range of the resource block includes a first plurality of resource blocks having a subcarrier with a frequency lower than that of a primary carrier associated with the non-data uplink resource, and wherein the second range of the resource block includes a second plurality of resource blocks having a subcarrier with a frequency higher than that of the primary carrier associated with the non-data uplink resource; and tuning hardware within a user equipment to operate within a bandwidth level corresponding to the larger of the first bandwidth or the second bandwidth and smaller than that assigned by the base station for a full uplink bandwidth.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24 also includes code that, when executed by the processor of the apparatus, causes the apparatus to perform the following operation: transmit from the user equipment to the base station on a physical UL shared channel (PUSCH) according to the bandwidth level.

26. The device according to claim 24 also includes code that, when executed by the processor of the device, causes the device to perform the following operation: determine that the user equipment does not support non-continuous physical UL shared channel (PUSCH) allocation.

27. The device according to request item 24 also includes code that, when executed by the processor of the device, causes the device to perform the following operation: determine that the user device does not support Physical UL Shared Channel (PUSCH) allocation type-0.

28. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the operation of tuning the hardware includes the following operations: supplying power to a first subset of power amplifiers in the user equipment and de-energizing a second subset of power amplifiers in the user equipment.

29. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the operation of tuning the hardware includes the following operation: setting a sampling frequency of a clock within the user equipment.

30. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the non-data uplink resource includes one selected from a list of the following: a random access channel (RACH), a sounding reference signal (SRS), and a physical UL control channel (PUCCH).

31. A user equipment, comprising: A component used to determine whether the user equipment supports non-continuous entity UL shared channel (PUSCH) allocation; The means for calculating a first bandwidth of a first range of a resource block and a second bandwidth of a second range of a resource block, wherein the discrete bandwidth level is sufficient to include a bandwidth associated with the larger of the first range and the second range, wherein the first range of the resource block includes a first plurality of resource blocks having a subcarrier with a frequency lower than that of the primary carrier associated with the non-data uplink resource, and wherein the second range of the resource block includes a second plurality of resource blocks having a subcarrier with a frequency higher than that of the primary carrier associated with the non-data uplink resource; and means for responding to a determination that the user equipment does not support a discontinuous entity UL shared channel (PUSCH) allocation to tune the hardware of the user equipment to operate within the discrete bandwidth level less than a full uplink bandwidth allocation.

32. The user equipment pursuant to claim 31 also includes: A component used to communicate with a base station on the PUSCH according to the discrete bandwidth level.

33. The user equipment according to claim 31, wherein the hardware includes one selected from a list of the following: a plurality of power amplifiers, a mixer, a local oscillator, and a phase-locked loop.

34. The user equipment according to claim 31, wherein the component for determining that the user equipment does not support non-continuous PUSCH allocation includes: A component used to parse a Radio Resource Control (RRC) capability information element.

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