Dynamic modulation and coding

Abstract

According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus configured to obtain, from a network, a configuration allocating physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions to the apparatus, determine whether a number of physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions the apparatus needs to transmit uplink data, using the configuration, is less than a threshold number, and when the number of physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions the apparatus needs to transmit uplink data is less than the threshold number and when enabled by allocated physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions, select a modulation and coding scheme with more redundancy than a default modulation and coding scheme, and otherwise select the default modulation and coding scheme.

Description

DYNAMIC MODULATION AND CODINGFIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of wireless communication and dynamic handling of resources therein.BACKGROUND

[0002] In wireless communication systems, such as cellular communication systems, air interface resources may be allocated to user equipments by a network node, such as a base station. Air interface resources may comprise frequency channels, time slots, spreading codes or combinations thereof, for example.

[0003] Allocation of air interface resources may be conducted on a dynamic or semipermanent manner, wherein a dynamic allocation allocates a specified resource, or resources, while a semi-permanent, or configured, allocation provides a repeating resource until the configuration is modified or terminated with further signalling.SUMMARY

[0004] According to some aspects, there is provided the subject-matter of the independent claims. Some embodiments are defined in the dependent claims. The scope of protection sought for various embodiments of the invention is set out by the independent claims. The embodiments, examples and features, if any, described in this specification that do not fall under the scope of the independent claims are to be interpreted as examples useful for understanding various embodiments of the invention.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory storinginstructions that, when executed by the at least one processing core, cause the apparatus at least to obtain, from a network, a configuration allocating physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions to the apparatus, determine whether a number of physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions the apparatus needs to transmit uplink data, using the configuration, is less than a threshold number, and when the number of physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions the apparatus needs to transmit uplink data is less than the threshold number and when enabled by allocated physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions, select a modulation and coding scheme with more redundancy than a default modulation and coding scheme; otherwise select the default modulation and coding scheme.

[0006] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processing core, cause the apparatus at least to provide, to a user equipment, a configuration allocating physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions to the user equipment, receive, from the user equipment, uplink data using at least a subset of the allocated physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions, and receive, from the user equipment, an indication that the uplink data is encoded using a modulation and coding scheme with more redundancy than a default modulation and coding scheme.

[0007] According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method comprising obtaining, in an apparatus, from a network, a configuration allocating physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions to the apparatus, determining whether a number of physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions the apparatus needs to transmit uplink data, using the configuration, is less than a threshold number, and when the number of physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions the apparatus needs to transmit uplink data is less than the threshold number and when enabled by allocated physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions, selecting a modulation and coding scheme with more redundancy than a default modulation and coding scheme; otherwise selecting the default modulation and coding scheme.

[0008] Various embodiments of the third aspect may comprise one or more features from the following bulleted list: the method further comprises obtaining the threshold number from the network.• the threshold number is a number of physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions available to the apparatus such that transmission occasions not used by the apparatus can be reused by the network.• the method comprises obtaining the threshold number in radio resource control signalling or downlink control information or comprised in the configuration allocating the physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions to the apparatus.• obtaining the default modulation and coding scheme from the network.• the default modulation and coding scheme is obtained from the configuration allocating the plural physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions to the apparatus.• the physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions occur in a time sequence and not simultaneously.• based on determining that at least one of the allocated physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions is re-allocatable, indicating to the network that one or more of the configured physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions which are allocated to the apparatus may be used by other apparatuses.• the apparatus is a user equipment and the method is performed in the user equipment.

[0009] According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method, comprising providing, to a user equipment, a configuration allocating physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions to the user equipment, receiving, from the user equipment, uplink data using at least a subset of the allocated physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions, receiving, from the user equipment, an indication that the uplink data is encoded using a modulation and coding scheme with more redundancy than a default modulation and coding scheme.

[0010] According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus comprising means for obtaining, in an apparatus, from a network, a configuration allocating physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions to the apparatus, determining whether a number of physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions the apparatus needs to transmit uplink data, using the configuration, is less than a threshold number, and when the number of physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions the apparatus needs to transmit uplink data is less than the threshold number, and when enabled by allocated physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions, selecting a modulationand coding scheme with more redundancy than a default modulation and coding scheme; otherwise selecting the default modulation and coding scheme.

[0011] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus comprising means for providing, to a user equipment, a configuration allocating physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions to the user equipment, receiving, from the user equipment, uplink data using at least a subset of the allocated physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions, receiving, from the user equipment, an indication that the uplink data is encoded using a modulation and coding scheme with more redundancy than a default modulation and coding scheme, wherein using the default modulation and coding scheme the uplink data would use all the allocated transmission occasions.

[0012] According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a set of computer readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause an apparatus to at least obtain, from a network, a configuration allocating physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions to the apparatus, determine whether a number of physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions the apparatus needs to transmit uplink data, using the configuration, is less than a threshold number, and when the number of physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions the apparatus needs to transmit uplink data is less than the threshold number, and when enabled by allocated physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions, select a modulation and coding scheme with more redundancy than a default modulation and coding scheme, otherwise select the default modulation and coding scheme.

[0013] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a set of computer readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause an apparatus to at least provide, to a user equipment, a configuration allocating physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions to the user equipment, receive, from the user equipment, uplink data using at least a subset of the allocated physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions, receive, from the user equipment, an indication that the uplink data is encoded using a modulation and coding scheme with more redundancy than a default modulation and coding scheme.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] FIGURE 1 illustrates an example system in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015] FIGURE 2A illustrates an example allocation and timeline in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] FIGURE 2B illustrates an example allocation and timeline in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0017] FIGURE 3 illustrates an example apparatus capable of supporting at least some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0018] FIGURE 4 illustrates signalling in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure, and

[0019] FIGURE 5 is a flow graph of a method in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure.EMBODIMENTS

[0020] In certain types of applications, application data for transmission occurs in bursts, that is, the quantity of data to be transmitted per unit of time fluctuates in a manner which is difficult to predict in advance. In such cases, a user equipment, UE, may find itself in a state where it has been allocated more transmission occasions than it in fact needs. These unused transmission occasions may be re-allocated by a network node to other user equipments if time allows. Transmission occasions for which there is no time to re-allocate them, the user equipment itself may use them in employing a modulation and coding scheme with more redundancy to achieve more robust performance. Thus, transmission occasions overall are not wasted in a sense that they would be left unused for actual transmission.

[0021] FIGURE 1 illustrates an example system in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure. This system includes a base station 130 in communication with UEs 110, 120. Radio link 131 connects base station 130 with UE 110, and radio link 132 connects base station 130 with UE 120. The radio links 131, 132 may be bidirectional, comprising an uplink, UL, to convey information from the respective UE 110,120 toward the base station 130 and a downlink, DL, to convey information from the base station 130 toward the respective UE 110, 120.

[0022] Base station 130 is further coupled communicatively with core network node 140, which may comprise, for example, a mobility management entity, MME, or access and mobility management function, AMF. The core network node 140 may be coupled with further core network nodes, and with a network 150, which may comprise the Internet or a corporate network, for example. The system may communicate with further networks via network 150. Examples of the further core network nodes, which are not illustrated in FIGURE 1 for the sake of clarity, include gateways and subscriber information repositories.

[0023] Radio links 131, 132 may be in accordance with a long term evolution, LTE, technology, or a new radio, NR, technology, which is also known as fifth generation, 5G, for example. In particular, radio links 131, 132 comprise a set of subbands, each subband being a frequency resource in use between the base station and UE. There may be, for example, up to 12 or up to 18 subbands. There may be more than 18 subbands. The subbands in the set of subbands may form a contiguous block of subbands in frequency space, for example.

[0024] FIGURE 2A illustrates an example allocation and timeline in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure. In this example, six physical uplink shared channel, PUSCH, transmission occasions 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260 have been allocated to a user equipment, UE, per configured grant period. The transmission occasions occur in a time sequence, one after the other, and not simultaneously. In the figure, time advances schematically from the left toward the right. The allocation may be a configured grant, CG, allocating plural PUSCH transmission occasions to a single user equipment. The number of allocated PUSCH transmission occasions need not be six, but may alternatively be eight, for example, or another number. Each PUSCH occasion is usable in conveying a number of bits in the uplink direction. A PUSCH occasion may be defined as a time slice on a set of uplink frequency resources, for example. By transmitting over available slots and continuing counting each slot, it is possible to transmit over up to 6 UL slots per configured grant period in the example of FIGURE 2 A. In another example, the multiple PUSCH occasions are from multiple configured grant periods.

[0025] The UE may be provided a default modulation and coding scheme, MCS, which defines a modulation constellation and channel coding parameters to be used intransmission. For example, the default MCS may be referred to as initially configured MCS. Base station 130 may identify the default MCS when providing the allocation of the PUSCH transmission occasions to the UE, for example, or the default MCS may be otherwise communicated, for example by broadcast or unicast signalling in a cell controlled by base station 130. Yet further, the default MCS may be provided to the UE in radio resource control, RRC, signalling. Channel coding enables correcting, or at least detecting, bit errors in transmitted data, at the expense of making the transmitted data larger by including redundancy bits. This is very useful as wireless communication typically experiences fluctuations in signal quality. A higher-order modulation enables communication of more bits per symbol, however requiring a clearer signal to correctly detect the symbols.

[0026] As noted above, the UE may have data which is bursty in nature. In the situation illustrated in FIGURE 2A, the UE has uplink data to transmit, using the configured PUSCH transmission occasions, to fill three of the first occurring transmission occasions 210, 220 and 230, when using the default MCS. An example of an application type which may generate bursty data is an extended reality, XR, application. XR may comprise augmented reality, AR, virtual reality, VR, or mixed reality, MR. Other application types also generate bursty data, further examples including gaming and encoded video streams. In an encoded video stream, only relatively few bits need to be communicated when the video frames are very similar to each other, while more data needs to be sent when the video frames diverge strongly from each other as data compression gains are reduced.

[0027] As the UE only needs, when using the default MCS, the first three transmission occasions 210, 220, 230, it would make sense to indicate to base station 130, that transmission occasions 240, 250 and 260, or more generally the transmission occasions not needed by the UE, may be seen as excess in the UE and they could be re-allocated to other UEs in the same cell. This would enable enhanced spectral efficiency as transmission occasions would not be left unused. However, re-allocating transmission occasions is only feasible if there is sufficient time to do this.

[0028] The timeline comprising arrows 201, 203, 205 and 207 illustrates delays associated with indicating PUSCH transmission occasions as re-allocatable. Delay 201 is incurred in transmitting an indication of unused transmission occasions from the UE to the base station. This indication may indicate which transmission occasions, allocated to the UE, are not in fact needed by this UE. The exact length of delay 201 depends on where in thecell the UE is located, as when the UE is farther from the base station the propagation time of this signal, corresponding to delay 201, is longer. Delay 201 may also be considered to comprise delays incurred by the UE in determining that at least one of the allocated PUSCH transmission occasions is re-allocatable, and in internal processing inside this UE to prepare the sending of the message to the base station. The indicating to the base station may be provided from the UE in an uplink control information, UCI, message, for example. The UCI message may be delivered to the base station over PUSCH or PUCCH, for example.

[0029] Delay 203 corresponds to a delay internal to the base station, as it decodes UCI, and considers the indication and to which UE(s) to re-allocate the unused transmission occasion(s).

[0030] Delay 205 corresponds to a signalling delay when the base station provides an allocation concerning at least one, and potentially all, of the unused transmission occasions to one or more other UE(s). This signalling may be performed over downlink control information, DCI. The DCI may be conveyed from the base station to the one or more other UEs over physical downlink control channel, PDCCH, for example.

[0031] Finally, delay 207 is a delay internal to the other UE(s), as they need some time to actually use the re-allocated transmission occasions. The overall delay 201 + 203 + 205 + 207 thus represents a minimum time the system needs to actually use the excess and thus reallocatable transmission occasions.

[0032] As can be schematically observed from FIGURE 2A, this overall delay 201 + 203 + 205 + 207 extends beyond a start time of transmission occasion 240. Thus the other UE(s) could not in practice use transmission occasion 240, since the transmission occasion would already have started, and depending on the lengths of the delays, possibly even ended, by the time the other UE(s) would be ready to transmit in it following its re-allocation by the base station.

[0033] The overall delay 201 + 203 + 205 + 207 thus defines, or may be used to define, a threshold number of transmission occasions at or beyond which the re-allocation of transmission occasions is feasible from a timing perspective. In FIGURE 2A, the threshold number is four, in other words, if the UE has four transmission occasions’ worth of uplink data to send using default MCS, then the allocated transmission occasions beyond the needed four may be re-allocated. On the other hand, as is the case in FIGURE 2A, if the UE hasonly three transmission occasions’ worth of uplink data, then transmission occasion 240 is not needed by the UE, and also, due to the overall delay 201 + 203 + 205 + 207, transmission occasion 240 cannot be re-allocated by the system to another UE. It should be noted that the overall delay 201 + 203 + 205 + 207 as schematically shown in FIGURE 2A just gives an example of the necessary time elements to derive the threshold number. The overall delay 201 + 203 + 205 + 207 may exceed the number of transmission occasions the UE needs by more than one. In general, the UE may determine that at least one transmission opportunity is re-allocatable in case more than the threshold number of transmission opportunities have been allocated to the UE, and the number of occasions the UE needs is less than the threshold number.

[0034] The UE having the original allocation may therefore be configured to adjust its MCS to an MCS with more redundancy. Instead of using, for example, the first three transmission occasions 210, 220 and 230, it also uses the fourth transmission occasion 240. Thus, the fourth transmission occasion is not wasted, as it is effectively used to transmit the uplink data with possible additional redundancy bits for the uplink data to be transmitted from the UE to the base station. The transmission occasions still not needed or used by the UE, beyond the threshold number of transmission occasions, may be re-allocated by the system, as described above.

[0035] In terms of 3rdgeneration partnership project, 3GPP, technology, a specific MCS is indicated by an MCS index, such that a lower MCS index indicates an MCS with more redundancy and a higher MCS index indicates an MCS with lower redundancy. Thus, the change to an MCS with more redundancy, to use the otherwise wasted transmission occasion, would be a change to a lower MCS index.

[0036] Thus, overall, the UE may obtain, from the base station, a configuration allocating plural physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions to the UE. The UE may then determine whether a number of PUSCH transmission occasions the UE needs to transmit its uplink data, using the configuration and default MCS, is less than a threshold number. The UE may determine the number of occasions it needs to transmit its uplink data. Additionally or alternatively, UE may determine the time needed to transmit the uplink data. A correspondence between the time needed to transmit the uplink data and the number of occasions needed to transmit uplink data is known to the UE. If the determined number of occasions is less than the threshold number, the UE selects an MCS with more redundancythan the default MCS, and if the determined number of occasions is equal to or more than the threshold number, the UE uses the default MCS. The UE may select the default MCS, if there are not enough transmission occasions to use more robust MCS. The UE then transmits the uplink data, encoded using the default MCS or the selected MCS, respectively. The uplink data may comprise, to be exact, uplink data the UE has available during the time that the allocated PUSCH transmission occasions span. The UE may have further uplink data at a later point in time, which will be handled separately.

[0037] The threshold number of PUSCH transmission occasions may be communicated to the UE from the base station, for example. The base station may dynamically determine this number based on, for example, location of UEs in its cell, and / or UE capability information the base station receives. The UE capability information may be used to estimate delay 207, for example, as the UE capability information may disclose how long it takes by a UE to process the re-allocation instruction from the base station and to prepare UL transmission. The base station is likely aware of delay 203 as it may be determined dynamically by the base station itself, or it may even be configured in the base station at manufacture, for example. The base station may be configured to re-determine delay 203 after it has been updated with new software or hardware, since the delay may have changed.

[0038] In principle the UE may select the MCS with increased redundancy to increase the number of PUSCH transmission occasions it uses by more than one transmission occasion. In terms of FIGURE 2A, if the UE would need only two transmission occasions using the default MCS, the UE may increase redundancy to use the four transmission occasions. Thus, there would be an increase of two transmission occasions. In general, the UE may select an MCS with so much redundancy that the threshold number of transmission occasions will be needed to transmit the uplink data. In some embodiments, the UE is configured to take into account a delay sensitivity of the uplink data, such that in case the uplink data is delay sensitive, the UE will not select the MCS with more redundancy than the default MCS. This provides the benefit, that the base station is enabled to decode the uplink data sooner. In yet further embodiments, the UE is configured to select an MCS with more redundancy only such that exactly one, and not more, transmission occasion is used beyond what is needed using the default MCS. This provides the benefit, that additional redundancy is obtained at a cost of only a reasonably increased decoding delay. Such anincreased delay may be acceptable, depending on delay requirements which apply to the uplink data.

[0039] FIGURE 2B illustrates an example allocation and timeline in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure. Like numbering denotes like structure as in FIGURE 2A. In the situation of FIGURE 2B, the UE has chosen the MCS with increased redundancy, using up also transmission occasion 240 in addition to those needed in FIGURE 2A. The UE may further indicate transmission occasions 250 and 260 as reallocatable to the system, enabling the base station to allocate them to one or more further UE(s). An indication 270 of re-allocatable PUSCH transmission occasions may be provided as part of UCI, for example. The UE may indicate the non-default MCS it selects to the base station, for example as part of the UCI, or using implicit signalling.

[0040] In some embodiments, instead of a threshold number of PUSCH transmission occasions, a threshold length of time is used by the UE to decide whether to use the MCS with more redundancy than the default MCS. In those embodiments, the UE selects the nondefault MCS with more redundancy responsive to determining that using the default MCS, it would take the UE less than the threshold length of time to transmit the uplink data using the configured PUSCH transmission occasions. In some embodiments, the threshold number comprises a threshold length of time. In some embodiments, the threshold number comprises a threshold number of transmission occasions. For example, threshold number may define a number of transmission occasions, which the UE may use for uplink transmission such that the excess number of transmission occasions not used by the UE can be reused by the network node. As another example, threshold number may define a length of time, corresponding to a certain number of transmission occasions, which the UE may use for uplink transmission such that the excess number of transmission occasions (after the threshold length of time) not used by the UE can be reused by the network node. The threshold number of transmission occasions may be referred to as a minimum number of resources, M min. The threshold length of time may be referred to as a minimum timeline requirement, T rain.

[0041] In some embodiment, the threshold number is or is associated with a number of physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions available to the UE such that transmission occasions not used by the UE can be reused by the network. For example, thetransmission occasions not used by the UE may be re-allocated by the network to other UE(s).

[0042] The change in MCS (Am) may be proportional to the difference between the number of transmission occasions N needed to transmit the uplink data and the M min. Or, the change in MCS (Am) may be proportional to the difference between the time T needed to transmit the uplink data and the T rain. The larger the difference, the more lower MCS index (more robust MCS index) when compared to the default MCS index, the UE may select.

[0043] The proportionality may be given as Am = (m2—oc (Mmin— N) or Am = (m2— m- oc (Tmin— T), wherein m2 is the more robust MCS index and mi is the default MCS index.

[0044] The UE may receive the threshold number, or threshold length of time, from the base station. For example, the base station may provide the threshold in radio resource control signalling, broadcast signalling or downlink control information or as part of the configured grant which allocated the PUSCH transmission occasions to the UE. For example, when considering Type 2 CG, the threshold number or threshold length of time may be included in the DCI delivered over PDCCH.

[0045] The UE may determine, based on the amount of data in a UE buffer and based on Am and / or m2, how many more transmission occasions would be needed when more robust MCS index is used, compared to the initially needed transmission occasions with default MCS index. The UE may determine, how robust MCS the UE may use, based on the available excess transmission occasions. The UE may know a mapping between the amount of data to be transmitted, number of transmission occasions needed for transmission, and MCS index.

[0046] For example, if the UE selects to use a more robust MCS, the UE may need more transmission occasions than M min. In that case, fewer transmission occasions are left for reuse, or even zero transmission occasions may be left for reuse.

[0047] It may happen that UE would like to select to use a more robust MCS, but the number of allocated transmission is not enough for transmitting the data in the buffer with more robust MCS. In that case, the UE selects to use the default MCS.

[0048] FIGURE 3 illustrates an example apparatus capable of supporting at least some embodiments of the present disclosure. Illustrated is device 300, which may comprise, forexample, a UE 110 or, in applicable parts, base station 130 of FIGURE 1. Comprised in device 300 is processor 310, which may comprise, for example, a single- or multi-core processor wherein a single-core processor comprises one processing core and a multi-core processor comprises more than one processing core. Processor 310 may comprise, in general, a control device. Processor 310 may comprise more than one processor. When processor 310 comprises more than one processor, device 300 may be a distributed device wherein processing of tasks takes place in more than one physical unit. Processor 310 may be a control device. A processing core may comprise, for example, a Cortex-A8 processing core manufactured by ARM Holdings or a Zen processing core designed by Advanced Micro Devices Corporation. Processor 310 may comprise at least one Qualcomm Snapdragon and / or Intel Atom processor. Processor 310 may comprise at least one application-specific integrated circuit, ASIC. Processor 310 may comprise at least one field-programmable gate array, FPGA. Processor 310 may be means for performing method steps in device 300, such as obtaining, determining, selecting, indicating, processing or receiving. Processor 310 may be configured, at least in part by computer instructions, to perform actions.

[0049] A processor may comprise circuitry, or be constituted as circuitry or circuitries, the circuitry or circuitries being configured to perform phases of methods in accordance with embodiments described herein. As used in this application, the term “circuitry” may refer to one or more or all of the following: (a) hardware-only circuit implementations, such as implementations in only analogue and / or digital circuitry, and (b) combinations of hardware circuits and software, such as, as applicable: (i) a combination of analogue and / or digital hardware circuit(s) with software / firmware and (ii) any portions of hardware processor(s) with software (including digital signal processor(s)), software, and memory(ies) that work together to cause an apparatus, such as user equipment or base station, to perform various functions) and (c) hardware circuit(s) and or processor(s), such as a microprocessor(s) or a portion of a microprocessor(s), that requires software (e.g., firmware) for operation, but the software may not be present when it is not needed for operation.

[0050] This definition of circuitry applies to all uses of this term in this application, including in any claims. As a further example, as used in this application, the term circuitry also covers an implementation of merely a hardware circuit or processor (or multiple processors) or portion of a hardware circuit or processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. The term circuitry also covers, for example and if applicable to the particular claim element, a baseband integrated circuit or processor integrated circuit fora mobile device or a similar integrated circuit in server, a cellular network device, or other computing or network device.

[0051] Device 300 may comprise memory 320. Memory 320 may comprise randomaccess memory and / or permanent memory. Memory 320 may comprise at least one RAM chip. Memory 320 may be a computer readable medium. Memory 320 may comprise solid- state, magnetic, optical and / or holographic memory, for example. Memory 320 may be at least in part accessible to processor 310. Memory 320 may be at least in part comprised in processor 310. Memory 320 may be means for storing information. Memory 320 may comprise computer instructions that processor 310 is configured to execute. When computer instructions configured to cause processor 310 to perform certain actions are stored in memory 320, and device 300 overall is configured to run under the direction of processor 310 using computer instructions from memory 320, processor 310 and / or its at least one processing core may be considered to be configured to perform said certain actions. Memory 320 may be at least in part comprised in processor 310. Memory 320 may be at least in part external to device 300 but accessible to device 300. Memory 320 may be transitory or non- transitory. The term “non-transitory”, as used herein, is a limitation of the medium itself (that is, tangible, not a signal) as opposed to a limitation on data storage persistency (for example, RAM vs. ROM).

[0052] Device 300 may comprise a transmitter 330. Device 300 may comprise a receiver 340. Transmitter 330 and receiver 340 may be configured to transmit and receive, respectively, information in accordance with at least one cellular or non-cellular standard. Transmitter 330 may comprise more than one transmitter. Receiver 340 may comprise more than one receiver. Transmitter 330 and / or receiver 340 may be configured to operate in accordance with global system for mobile communication, GSM, wideband code division multiple access, WCDMA, 5G, long term evolution, LTE, IS-95, wireless local area network, WLAN, Ethernet and / or worldwide interoperability for microwave access, WiMAX, standards, for example.

[0053] Device 300 may comprise a near-field communication, NFC, transceiver 350. NFC transceiver 350 may support at least one NFC technology, such as NFC, Bluetooth, Wibree or similar technologies.

[0054] Device 300 may comprise user interface, UI, 360. UI 360 may comprise at least one of a display, a keyboard, a touchscreen, a vibrator arranged to signal to a user bycausing device 300 to vibrate, a speaker or a microphone. A user may be able to operate device 300 via UI 360, for example to accept incoming telephone calls, to originate telephone calls or video calls, to browse the Internet, to manage digital files stored in memory 320 or on a cloud accessible via transmitter 330 and receiver 340, or via NFC transceiver 350, and / or to use an XR application.

[0055] Device 300 may comprise or be arranged to accept a user identity module 370. User identity module 370 may comprise, for example, a subscriber identity module, SIM, card installable in device 300. A user identity module 370 may comprise information identifying a subscription of a user of device 300. A user identity module 370 may comprise cryptographic information usable to verify the identity of a user of device 300 and / or to facilitate encryption of communicated information and billing of the user of device 300 for communication effected via device 300.

[0056] Processor 310 may be furnished with a transmitter arranged to output information from processor 310, via electrical leads internal to device 300, to other devices comprised in device 300. Such a transmitter may comprise a serial bus transmitter arranged to, for example, output information via at least one electrical lead to memory 320 for storage therein. Alternatively to a serial bus, the transmitter may comprise a parallel bus transmitter. Likewise processor 310 may comprise a receiver arranged to receive information in processor 310, via electrical leads internal to device 300, from other devices comprised in device 300. Such a receiver may comprise a serial bus receiver arranged to, for example, receive information via at least one electrical lead from receiver 340 for processing in processor 310. Alternatively to a serial bus, the receiver may comprise a parallel bus receiver.

[0057] Device 300 may comprise further devices not illustrated in FIGURE 3. For example, where device 300 comprises a smartphone, it may comprise at least one digital camera. Some devices 300 may comprise a back-facing camera and a front-facing camera, wherein the back-facing camera may be intended for digital photography and the frontfacing camera for video telephony. Device 300 may comprise a fingerprint sensor arranged to authenticate, at least in part, a user of device 300. In some embodiments, device 300 lacks at least one device described above. For example, some devices 300 may lack a NFC transceiver 350 and / or user identity module 370.

[0058] Processor 310, memory 320, transmitter 330, receiver 340, NFC transceiver 350, UI 360 and / or user identity module 370 may be interconnected by electrical leads internal to device 300 in a multitude of different ways. For example, each of the aforementioned devices may be separately connected to a master bus internal to device 300, to allow for the devices to exchange information. However, as the skilled person will appreciate, this is only one example and depending on the embodiment various ways of interconnecting at least two of the aforementioned devices may be selected without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0059] FIGURE 4 illustrates signalling in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure. On the vertical axes are disposed, on the left, UE 110 of FIGURE 1, in the centre base station 130 of FIGURE 1 and on the right, UE 120 of FIGURE 1. Time advances from the top toward the bottom.

[0060] In phase 410, base station 130 provides to UE 110 a configured grant, allocating plural PUSCH transmission occasions to UE 110. The allocated transmission occasions may occur one after another rather than simultaneously. The allocated transmission occasions may occur in continuous manner or non-continuous manner. UE 110 needs uplink transmission capability to provide its uplink data to base station 130. For example, UE 110 may run an XR application or a video telephony application which generates the uplink data. As part of phase 410 base station 130 may provide the threshold number and / or an indication of the default MCS to UE 110. Alternatively, one or both of the threshold number and default MCS may be provided to UE 110 using another method, such as broadcast signalling, for example. Broadcast signalling may be provided in system information blocks, for example. Alternatively, one or both of the threshold number and default MCS may be provided to UE 110 using RRC signalling or physical layer, PHY, signalling e.g., DCI.

[0061] In phase 420 UE 110 determines whether a number of PUSCH transmission occasions it needs to transmit the uplink data, using the configuration of phase 410 and the default MCS, is less than the threshold number. For example, the UE 110 may determine that the number of PUSCH transmission occasions it needs to transmit the uplink data, using the configuration of phase 410 and the default MCS, is less than the threshold number. In the example of FIGURE 4, the determination is that the needed number of transmission occasions is less than the threshold number by two transmission occasions.

[0062] In phase 430 UE 110 provides to base station 130 an indication of an MCS it has selected, which has more redundancy than the default MCS. This is so, since otherwise one of the transmission occasions allocated to UE 110 in phase 410 would be unused and not re-allocatable to another UE due to timing constraints, as described herein above. Further in phase 430, the UE may provide an indication to base station 130 that one or more of the transmission occasions, e.g. one transmission occasion, may be re-allocated to further UEs. Phase 430 may comprise a UCI transmission. Thus all the transmission occasions are put to use, either as conveying additional redundancy and / or re-allocated to further UEs. In phase 440, UE 110 provides its uplink data, using the selected MCS rather than or instead of the default MCS. Phases 430 and 440 may take place at least in part at the same time, and in either order, phase 430 first or phase 440 first. As another embodiment, the UCI information to be sent in Phase 430 can be multiplexed onto the uplink data channel in Phase 440, i.e., the two phases 430 and 440 are merged into one.

[0063] In phase 450, base station 130 selects a further UE to use the re-allocatable PUSCH transmission occasion that UE 110 does not need and which was indicated, by UE 110, in phase 430 as being re-allocatable. In the example of FIGURE 4, UE 120 is selected by base station 130 for this purpose. Phase 450 may take place at least in part simultaneously with phase 440 and / or phase 430. In phase 460, base station 130 provides to UE 120 a resource grant, allocating the PUSCH transmission occasion indicated by UE 110 as reallocatable to UE 120. Phase 460 may take place at least in part, and in some embodiments in whole, during phase 440. Both UEs may use these transmission occasions for uplink transmission since PUSCH is a shared uplink channel. In phase 470, UE 120 transmits at least some of its uplink data using the PUSCH transmission occasion allocated to it in phase 460.

[0064] FIGURE 5 is a flow graph of a method in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present disclosure. The phases of the illustrated method may be performed in device 110, an auxiliary device or a personal computer, for example, or in a control device configured to control the functioning thereof, when installed therein.

[0065] Phase 510 comprises obtaining, in an apparatus, from a network, a configuration allocating plural physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions to the apparatus. Phase 520 comprises determining whether a number of physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions the apparatus needs to transmit uplink data, using theconfiguration, is less than a threshold number. The uplink data may be uplink data of the apparatus. The determining may comprise determining whether the number of needed occasions is less than the threshold number when using the default MCS. Finally, phase 530 comprises, when the number of needed PUSCH occasions is less than the threshold number, and when enabled by allocated physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions, selecting a modulation and coding scheme with more redundancy than the default modulation and coding scheme. Otherwise, the method comprises using the default modulation and coding scheme. Otherwise here refers to a situation that the there are no excess transmission occasions, that is, the number of transmission occasions needed to transmit the uplink data, using the configuration, is not less than the threshold number, or the number of allocated transmission occasions is not enough for transmitting the uplink data with more robust MCS. The expression “when enabled by allocated physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions” refers to a situation that there is or are enough allocated transmission occasion(s) for transmitting the uplink data with more robust MCS.

[0066] It is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention disclosed are not limited to the particular structures, process steps, or materials disclosed herein, but are extended to equivalents thereof as would be recognized by those ordinarily skilled in the relevant arts. It should also be understood that terminology employed herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting.

[0067] Reference throughout this specification to one embodiment or an embodiment means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Where reference is made to a numerical value using a term such as, for example, about or substantially, the exact numerical value is also disclosed.

[0068] As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements, compositional elements, and / or materials may be presented in a common list for convenience. However, these lists should be construed as though each member of the list is individually identified as a separate and unique member. Thus, no individual member of such list should be construed as a de facto equivalent of any other member of the same list solely based on their presentation in a common group without indications to the contrary. In addition, various embodiments and example of the present invention may be referred to herein along withalternatives for the various components thereof. It is understood that such embodiments, examples, and alternatives are not to be construed as de facto equivalents of one another, but are to be considered as separate and autonomous representations of the present invention.

[0069] Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the preceding description, numerous specific details are provided, such as examples of lengths, widths, shapes, etc., to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.

[0070] While the forgoing examples are illustrative of the principles of the present invention in one or more particular applications, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications in form, usage and details of implementation can be made without the exercise of inventive faculty, and without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the claims set forth below.

[0071] The verbs “to comprise” and “to include” are used in this document as open limitations that neither exclude nor require the existence of also un-recited features. The features recited in depending claims are mutually freely combinable unless otherwise explicitly stated. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the use of "a" or "an", that is, a singular form, throughout this document does not exclude a plurality.

[0072] As used herein, “at least one of the following: ” and “at least one of ” and similar wording, where the list of two or more elements are joined by “and” or “or”, mean at least any one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all the elements.INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0073] At least some embodiments of the present invention find industrial application in wireless communication.ACRONYMS LISTDCI downlink control informationMCS modulation and coding schemePUSCH physical uplink shared channelUCI uplink control information UE user equipmentXR extended realityREFERENCE SIGNS LIST

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An apparatus comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processing core, cause the apparatus at least to:- obtain, from a network, a configuration allocating physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions to the apparatus;- determine whether a number of physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions the apparatus needs to transmit uplink data, using the configuration, is less than a threshold number, and- when the number of physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions the apparatus needs to transmit uplink data is less than the threshold number and when enabled by allocated physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions, select a modulation and coding scheme with more redundancy than a default modulation and coding scheme; and otherwise select the default modulation and coding scheme.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to obtain the threshold number from the network.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the threshold number is a number of physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions available to the apparatus such that transmission occasions not used by the apparatus can be reused by the network.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 or 3 as dependent on 2, wherein the apparatus is configured to obtain the threshold number in radio resource control signalling or downlink control information, or comprised in the configuration allocating the plural physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions to the apparatus.

5. The apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus is configured to obtain the default modulation and coding scheme from the network.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the apparatus is configured to obtain the default modulation and coding scheme from the configuration allocating the physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions to the apparatus.

7. The apparatus according to any of claims 1 - 6, wherein the physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions occur in a time sequence and not simultaneously.

8. The apparatus according to any of claims 1 - 7, further configured to, based on determining that at least one of the allocated physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions is re-allocatable, indicate to the network that one or more of the configured physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions which are allocated to the apparatus may be used by other apparatuses.

9. The apparatus according to any of claims 1 - 8, wherein the apparatus is or is comprised in a user equipment.

10. The apparatus according to any of claims 1 - 9, further configured to transmit the uplink data using the selected modulation and coding scheme.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the selected modulation and coding scheme is with more redundancy than the default modulation and coding scheme, and the apparatus is configured to transmit the uplink data, using the selected modulation and coding scheme, using a higher number of transmission occasions than would be needed if using the default modulation and coding scheme.

12. An apparatus comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processing core, cause the apparatus at least to:- provide, to a user equipment, a configuration allocating physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions to the user equipment;- receive, from the user equipment, uplink data using at least a subset of the allocated physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions;receive, from the user equipment, an indication that the uplink data is encoded using a modulation and coding scheme with more redundancy than a default modulation and coding scheme.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, further configured to process an indication from the user equipment specifying a subset of the transmission occasions allocated to the user equipment as transmission occasions which may be used by one or more other user equipments.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, further configured to provide to a second user equipment among the one or more other user equipments a grant, allocating to the second user equipment at least one from among the transmission occasions which may be used by the one or more other user equipments.

15. The apparatus according to any of claims 12 to 14, wherein the configuration comprises, or the apparatus is configured to transmit to the user equipment, a threshold number, which is a number of physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions available to the user equipment such that transmission occasions not used by the user equipment can be reused by the apparatus.

16. A method comprising:- obtaining, in an apparatus, from a network, a configuration allocating physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions to the apparatus;- determining whether a number of physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions the apparatus needs to transmit uplink data, using the configuration, is less than a threshold number, and- when the number of physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions the apparatus needs to transmit uplink data is less than the threshold number and when enabled by allocated physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions, selecting a modulation and coding scheme with more redundancy than a default modulation and coding scheme; and otherwise selecting the default modulation and coding scheme.

17. A method, comprising:- providing, to a user equipment, a configuration allocating physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions to the user equipment;- receiving, from the user equipment, uplink data using at least a subset of the allocated physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions;- receiving, from the user equipment, an indication that the uplink data is encoded using a modulation and coding scheme with more redundancy than a default modulation and coding scheme.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a set of computer readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause an apparatus to at least:- obtain, from a network, a configuration allocating physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions to the apparatus;- determine whether a number of physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions the apparatus needs to transmit uplink data, using the configuration, is less than a threshold number, and- when the number of physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions the apparatus needs to transmit uplink data is less than the threshold number, and when enabled by allocated physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions, select a modulation and coding scheme with more redundancy than a default modulation and coding scheme; and otherwise select the default modulation and coding scheme.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a set of computer readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause an apparatus to at least:- provide, to a user equipment, a configuration allocating physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions to the user equipment;- receive, from the user equipment, uplink data using at least a subset of the allocated physical uplink shared channel transmission occasions;receive, from the user equipment, an indication that the uplink data is encoded using a modulation and coding scheme with more redundancy than a default modulation and coding scheme.

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