Methods for supporting orthogonal cover codes in IOT-ntn

Abstract

A method is performed by a user equipment (UE) of a plurality of UEs that receive a plurality of orthogonal cover codes (OCC) sequences for concurrently transmitting to a network node on the same time-frequency resources. The method comprises receiving an orthogonal cover codes (OCC) sequence of the plurality of OCC sequences. The plurality of OCC sequences are assigned to respective ones of the plurality of UEs. The method further comprises transmitting, through a narrowband physical uplink shared channel (NPUSCH) format 1, to the network node on the same time-frequency resources shared by other UEs of the plurality of UEs. The plurality of UEs concurrently transmitting through the narrowband physical uplink for a single-tone or multi-tone transmission having a first subcarrier spacing (SCS). Appliance of the plurality of OCC sequences is with respect to one or more OFDM symbols, one or more time-domain slots, or a time-domain resource unit.

Description

METHODS FOR SUPPORTING ORTHOGONAL COVER CODES IN IOT-NTNCROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority to an International Patent Application No. PCT / CN2024 / 077502 filed on February 19, 2024, titled “METHODS FOR SUPPORTING ORTHOGONAL COVER CODES IN IOT-NTN”.FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to communication systems and, more specifically, to methods and systems for increasing uplink capacity based on appliance of Orthogonal Cover Codes (OCC) sequences to multiple user equipments (UEs) to enable concurrent transmission.BACKGROUND

[0003] Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) has been recently introduced for long-term evolution - machine type communication (LTE-MTC) and NB-IoT (narrowband Internet-of-Things). In a recent 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) release, loT-NTN aims at increasing the uplink capacity through developing and providing the support of OCC for the Narrowband Physical Uplink shared Channel (NPUSCH Format 1) and the Narrowband Physical Random-Access Channel (NPRACH). The description related to the recent 3GPP release includes the following justification regarding the need for UL capacity enhancement. In particular, NB-IoT NTN is already being deployed. In these early and upcoming deployments, it is clearly emerging that loT- NTN, in particular NB-IoT, will have to support massive capacity in terms of number and types of UE, some of which have significantly different characteristics than others (e.g., low-cost devices, wearables, etc.).SUMMARY

[0004] Various computer-implemented systems, methods, and articles for enhancing consistency among various context information are described herein. In one embodiment, a method is performed by a user equipment (UE) of a plurality of UEs that receive a plurality of orthogonal cover codes (OCC) sequences for concurrently transmitting to a network node on the same time-frequency resources. The method comprises receiving an orthogonal cover codes (OCC) sequence of the plurality of OCC sequences. The plurality of OCC sequences are assigned to respective ones of the plurality of UEs. The method further comprises transmitting, through anarrowband physical uplink shared channel (NPUSCH) format 1, to the network node on the same time-frequency resources shared by other UEs of the plurality of UEs. The method further comprises that the plurality of UEs concurrently transmit through the narrowband physical uplink for a single-tone or multi-tone transmission having a first subcarrier spacing (SCS), and appliance of the plurality of OCC sequences is with respect to one or more OFDM symbols, one or more time-domain slots, or a time-domain resource unit (RU).

[0005] In another embodiment, a method is performed by a network node receiving concurrent transmissions on the same time-frequency resources from a plurality of user equipments (UEs) that receive a plurality of orthogonal cover codes (OCC) sequences. The method comprises sending, to a UE of the plurality of UEs, an orthogonal cover codes (OCC) sequence of the plurality of OCC sequences. The plurality of OCC sequences are assigned to respective ones of the plurality of UEs. The method further comprises receiving, through a narrowband physical uplink shared channel (NPUSCH) format, from the UE on the same time-frequency resources shared by other UEs of the plurality of UEs. The method comprises that the network node concurrently receives from the plurality of UEs through the narrowband physical uplink for a single-tone or multi-tone transmission having a first subcarrier spacing (SCS), and that appliance of the plurality of OCC sequences is with respect to one or more OFDM symbols, one or more time-domain slots, or a time-domain resource unit.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] For a better understanding of the various described embodiments, reference should be made to the Detailed Description below, in conjunction with the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the figures.

[0007] Figure 1 illustrates the number of simultaneous NPUSCH users, when NPUSCH Format 1 with 3.75 kHz SCS has available bandwidth of 180 kHz.

[0008] Figure 2 illustrates an example of a Preamble Repetition Unit (PRU).

[0009] Figure 3 shows an example of a communication system in accordance with some embodiments.

[0010] Figure 4 shows a user equipment (UE) in accordance with some embodiments.

[0011] Figure 5 shows a network node in accordance with some embodiments.

[0012] Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized.

[0013] Figure 7A is a flowchart illustrating a method performed by a UE of a plurality of UEs that receive a plurality of orthogonal cover codes (OCC) sequences for concurrently transmitting to a network node on the same time-frequency resources, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0014] Figure 7B is a flowchart illustrating a method performed by a network node receiving concurrent transmissions on the same time-frequency resources from a plurality of user equipments (UEs) that receive a plurality of orthogonal cover codes (OCC) sequences, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0015] Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating OCCs of length 2 and applying the OCCs to symbols for transmitting symbols of multiple UEs using the same time-frequency resources, in accordance with some embodiments.

[0016] Figures 9A-9B are diagrams illustrating OCCs of length 2 and applying the OCCs to time-domain slots for single-tone transmission with 3.75 KHz SCS.

[0017] Figures 10A-10B are diagrams illustrating OCCs of length 2 and applying the OCCs to time-domain slots for single-tone transmission with 15 KHz SCS.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] To provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention, the following description sets forth numerous specific details, such as specific configurations, parameters, examples, and the like. It should be recognized, however, that such description is not intended as a limitation on the scope of the present invention but is intended to provide a better description of the exemplary embodiments.

[0019] Multiplexing of UEs by usage of orthogonal cover codes (OCC) for NPUSCH format 1 and NPRACH is to be developed.

[0020] In order to unlock the additional uplink (UL) capacity potential, there is a need to identify methods to de-couple the UL from the downlink (DL) as much as possible. Moreover, in a recent 3GPP release, an objective to increase the uplink capacity for loT-NTN includes the following aspects. Specifically, enhancements should be developed to enable multiplexing of multiple UEs (e.g. up to the minimum of 4 and the maximum allowed by the existing UL and DL signaling) in a single 3.75 kHz or 15 kHz subcarrier via OCC for NPUSCH format 1 and NPRACH. Moreover, Multi-tone support for 15 kHz SCS should also be considered.

[0021] Figure 1 illustrates the number of simultaneous NPUSCH users, when NPUSCH Format 1 with 3.75 kHz SCS has available 180 kHz. In the case of NPUSCH Format 1 with 3.75 kHz subcarrier spacing (SCS), the current 3GPP specification offers the possibility of multiplexing a non-negligible number of users. For example, if NPRACH and NPUSCH Format 1 with 3.75 kHz subcarrier spacing were to co-exist, it would be possible having NPRACH on 45 kHz and NPUSCH on 135 kHz as to have up to 36 single-tone users simultaneously. Thus, if the NPRACH and NPUSCH co-exist, the NPRACH transmission can have up to 12 users and the NPUSCH transmission can have up to 36 users. The total number of users on the co-existing transmissionscan be 48 maximum. In this example, both NPRACH and NPUSCH have 3.75 kHz subcarrier spacing. Moreover, if NPRACH and NPUSCH were not simultaneously transmitted, then there will be room for 12 extra NPUSCH Format 1 UEs. Thus, up to 48 single-tone users could be simultaneously transmitting on 180 kHz. In this disclosure, a single-tone refers to a single subcarrier spacing like the 3.75 kHz being used for transmission. And multi-tone refers to multiple subcarrier spacings (e.g., 3, 6, 12) being used for transmission.

[0022] In the case of NPUSCH Format 1 single-tone with 15 kHz SCS, the resource unit (RU) is 8 ms and is thus possible to schedule up to 12 UEs. In the case of NPUSCH Format 1 with 15 kHz SCS for multi-tone, the possible allocations are 3-subcarriers, 6-subcarriers, and 12- subcarriers, which have associated RUs equal to 4 ms, 2 ms, and 1 ms respectively.

[0023] In some examples, NPRACH preambles use a single-tone transmission with 3.75 kHz SCS and frequency hopping. NB-IoT supports two NPRACH formats (Format 0 using a cyclic prefix (CP) of 66.7 us, and Format 1 using a CP of 266.67 us), and the basic NPRACH repetition unit includes four symbol groups. Table 1 below illustrates example Deterministic Frequency Hopping patterns for an NPRACH repetition unit.

[0024] Figure 2 illustrates an example of a Preamble Repetition Unit corresponding to a part of the frequency hopping patterns shown in Table 1. With reference to Figure 2, from left-to- right, a first symbol group 202 starts at tone 0, then 1-tone up ('[) is the second symbol group 204, then 6-tones up ('[) is the third symbol group 206, and finally 1-tone down (],) is the fourth symbol group 208. The example shown in Figure 2 thus corresponds to the first row of Table 1.

[0025] There currently exist certain challenge(s) for increasing uplink capacity. While the recent 3GPP release has provided a guideline towards introducing orthogonal cover codes (OCC) to increase the uplink capacity for loT-NTN, there is currently no solution or existing methods on how to support OCCs for NPUSCH Format 1 and / or NPRACH. In this disclosure, technical considerations and solutions are provided to support using orthogonal cover codes (OCC) sequences to increase the uplink capacity for loT-NTN.

[0026] Certain aspects of the disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to these or other challenges. In particular, in this disclosure, techniques for supporting OCC for NPUSCHFormat 1 and NPRACH for loT-NTN are described, including: OCC sequence length accounting for the RU length, frequency hopping, and UE pairing aspects. For example, techniques for supporting OCC to increase the uplink capacity for loT-NTN are described, with OCC sequence length accounting for the RU length of NPUSCH Format 1 for single-tone (both 3.75 kHz SCS and 15 kHz SCS) and multi-tone (15 kHz SCS), and for NPRACH (3.75 kHz) accounting for the frequency hopping, and UE pairing aspects. Furthermore, the disclosure also provides techniques for applying OCC sequence of various lengths at the OFDM symbol level, at the time-domain slots level, or at a time-domain resource unit.

[0027] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantage(s). First, the techniques described herein provide the support of OCC for loT-NTN accounts for the physical layer structure and mechanisms of NPUSCH Format 1 and NPRACH (e.g., for NPUSCH, a transport block size (TBS) is mapped across multiple UE slots (e.g.,, the number of consecutive slots in an UL resource unit for NB-IoT) composing a resource unit, which can be used as a reference for the OCC sequence). Second, the systems and methods described herein providing the physical layer structure and mechanisms of NPUSCH Format 1 and NPRACH can serve to put an upper limit on the number of simultaneous transmissions using OCCs. Third, the systems and methods described herein providing the performance requirement of NPRACH for preamble detection (a total probability of false detection of the preamble (Pfa) and the probability of detection of the preamble (Pd)).

[0028] The teachings of certain embodiments may improve the uplink capacity for loT-NTN and the data rate, and reduce communication latency and power consumption. Some of the embodiments contemplated herein will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Embodiments are provided by way of example to convey the scope of the subject matter to those skilled in the art.

[0029] Figure 3 shows an example of a communication system 300 in accordance with some embodiments.

[0030] In the example, the communication system 300 includes a telecommunication network 302 that includes an access network 304, such as a radio access network (RAN), and a core network 306, which includes one or more core network nodes 308. The access network 304 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes 310a and 310b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes 310), or any other similar 3rdGeneration Partnership Project (3GPP) access nodes or non-3GPP access points. Moreover, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, a network node is not necessarily limited to an implementation in which a radio portion and a baseband portion are supplied and integrated by a single vendor. Thus, it will be understood that network nodes include disaggregated implementations or portions thereof. Forexample, in some embodiments, the telecommunication network 302 includes one or more Open- RAN (ORAN) network nodes. An ORAN network node is a node in the telecommunication network 302 that supports an ORAN specification (e.g., a specification published by the O-RAN Alliance, or any similar organization) and may operate alone or together with other nodes to implement one or more functionalities of any node in the telecommunication network 302, including one or more network nodes 310 and / or core network nodes 308.

[0031] Examples of an ORAN network node include an open radio unit (O-RU), an open distributed unit (O-DU), an open central unit (O-CU), including an O-CU control plane (O-CU- CP) or an O-CU user plane (O-CU-UP), a RAN intelligent controller (near-real time or non-real time) hosting software or software plug-ins, such as a near-real time control application (e.g., xApp) or a non-real time control application (e.g., rApp), or any combination thereof (the adjective “open” designating support of an ORAN specification). The network node may support a specification by, for example, supporting an interface defined by the ORAN specification, such as an Al, Fl, Wl, El, E2, X2, Xn interface, an open fronthaul user plane interface, or an open fronthaul management plane interface. Moreover, an ORAN access node may be a logical node in a physical node. Furthermore, an ORAN network node may be implemented in a virtualization environment (described further below) in which one or more network functions are virtualized. For example, the virtualization environment may include an O-Cloud computing platform orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework via an O-2 interface defined by the O-RAN Alliance or comparable technologies. The network nodes 310 facilitate direct or indirect connection of user equipment (UE), such as by connecting UEs 312a, 312b, 312c, and 312d (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs 312) to the core network 306 over one or more wireless connections.

[0032] Example wireless communications over a wireless connection include transmitting and / or receiving wireless signals using electromagnetic waves, radio waves, infrared waves, and / or other types of signals suitable for conveying information without the use of wires, cables, or other material conductors. Moreover, in different embodiments, the communication system 300 may include any number of wired or wireless networks, network nodes, UEs, and / or any other components or systems that may facilitate or participate in the communication of data and / or signals whether via wired or wireless connections. The communication system 300 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar type of system.

[0033] The UEs 312 may be any of a wide variety of communication devices, including wireless devices arranged, configured, and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with the network nodes 310 and other communication devices. Similarly, the network nodes 310 arearranged, capable, configured, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with the UEs 312 and / or with other network nodes or equipment in the telecommunication network 302 to enable and / or provide network access, such as wireless network access, and / or to perform other functions, such as administration in the telecommunication network 302.

[0034] In the depicted example, the core network 306 connects the network nodes 310 to one or more host computing systems, such as host 316. These connections may be direct or indirect via one or more intermediary networks or devices. In other examples, network nodes may be directly coupled to hosts. The core network 306 includes one more core network nodes (e.g., core network node 308) that are structured with hardware and software components. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the UEs, network nodes, and / or hosts, such that the descriptions thereof are generally applicable to the corresponding components of the core network node 308. Example core network nodes include functions of one or more of a Mobile Switching Center (MSC), Mobility Management Entity (MME), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), Session Management Function (SMF), Authentication Server Function (AUSF), Subscription Identifier De-concealing function (SIDF), Unified Data Management (UDM), Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), Network Exposure Function (NEF), and / or a User Plane Function (UPF).

[0035] The host 316 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than an operator or provider of the access network 304 and / or the telecommunication network 302. The host 316 may host a variety of applications to provide one or more service. Examples of such applications include live and pre-recorded audio / video content, data collection services such as retrieving and compiling data on various ambient conditions detected by a plurality of UEs, analytics functionality, social media, functions for controlling or otherwise interacting with remote devices, functions for an alarm and surveillance center, or any other such function performed by a server.

[0036] As a whole, the communication system 300 of Figure 3 enables connectivity between the UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In that sense, the communication system may be configured to operate according to predefined rules or procedures, such as specific standards that include, but are not limited to: Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM); Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS); Long Term Evolution (LTE), and / or other suitable 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G standards, or any applicable future generation standard (e.g., 6G); wireless local area network (WLAN) standards, such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standards (WiFi); and / or any other appropriate wireless communication standard, such as the Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Bluetooth, Z-Wave, Near Field Communication (NFC) ZigBee, LiFi, and / or any low-power wide-area network (LPWAN)standards such as LoRa and Sigfox.

[0037] In some examples, the telecommunication network 302 is a cellular network that implements 3GPP standardized features. Accordingly, the telecommunications network 302 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices that are connected to the telecommunication network 302. For example, the telecommunications network 302 may provide Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) services to some UEs, while providing Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) services to other UEs, and / or Massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC) / Massive loT services to yet further UEs.

[0038] In some examples, the UEs 312 are configured to transmit and / or receive information without direct human interaction. For instance, a UE may be designed to transmit information to the access network 304 on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to requests from the access network 304. Additionally, a UE may be configured for operating in single- or multi-RAT or multi-standard mode. For example, a UE may operate with any one or combination of Wi-Fi, NR (New Radio) and LTE, i.e. being configured for multi-radio dual connectivity (MR-DC), such as E-UTRAN (Evolved-UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) New Radio - Dual Connectivity (EN-DC).

[0039] In the example, the hub 314 communicates with the access network 304 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 312c and / or 312d) and network nodes (e.g., network node 310b). In some examples, the hub 314 may be a controller, router, content source and analytics, or any of the other communication devices described herein regarding UEs. For example, the hub 314 may be a broadband router enabling access to the core network 306 for the UEs. As another example, the hub 314 may be a controller that sends commands or instructions to one or more actuators in the UEs. Commands or instructions may be received from the UEs, network nodes 310, or by executable code, script, process, or other instructions in the hub 314. As another example, the hub 314 may be a data collector that acts as temporary storage for UE data and, in some embodiments, may perform analysis or other processing of the data. As another example, the hub 314 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR device, display, loudspeaker, or other media delivery device, the hub 314 may retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node, which the hub 314 then provides to the UE either directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In still another example, the hub 314 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, in particular if one or more of the UEs are low energy loT devices.

[0040] The hub 314 may have a constant / persistent or intermittent connection to the network node 310b. The hub 314 may also allow for a different communication scheme and / or schedule between the hub 314 and UEs (e.g., UE 312c and / or 312d), and between the hub 314 and the corenetwork 306. In other examples, the hub 314 is connected to the core network 306 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, the hub 314 may be configured to connect to an M2M service provider over the access network 304 and / or to another UE over a direct connection. In some scenarios, UEs may establish a wireless connection with the network nodes 310 while still connected via the hub 314 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, the hub 314 may be a dedicated hub - that is, a hub whose primary function is to route communications to / from the UEs from / to the network node 310b. In other embodiments, the hub 314 may be a nondedicated hub - that is, a device which is capable of operating to route communications between the UEs and network node 310b, but which is additionally capable of operating as a communication start and / or end point for certain data channels.

[0041] Figure 4 shows a UE 400 in accordance with some embodiments. The UE 400 presents additional details of some embodiments of the UE 312 of Figure 1. As used herein, a UE refers to a device capable, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate wirelessly with network nodes and / or other UEs. Examples of a UE include, but are not limited to, a smart phone, mobile phone, cell phone, voice over IP (VoIP) phone, wireless local loop phone, desktop computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless cameras, gaming console or device, music storage / playback device, wearable terminal device, wireless endpoint, mobile station, tablet, laptop, laptop-embedded equipment (LEE), laptop-mounted equipment (LME), an Augmented Reality (AR) or Virtual Reality (VR) device, wireless customer-premise equipment (CPE), vehicle, vehicle-mounted or vehicle embedded / integrated wireless device, etc. Other examples include any UE identified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), including a narrow band internet of things (NB-IoT) UE, a machine type communication (MTC) UE, and / or an enhanced MTC (eMTC) UE.

[0042] A UE may support device-to-device (D2D) communication, for example by implementing a 3GPP standard for sidelink communication, Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC), vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), or vehicle-to- everything (V2X). In other examples, a UE may not necessarily have a user in the sense of a human user who owns and / or operates the relevant device. Instead, a UE may represent a device that is intended for sale to, or operation by, a human user but which may not, or which may not initially, be associated with a specific human user (e.g., a smart sprinkler controller). Alternatively, a UE may represent a device that is not intended for sale to, or operation by, an end user but which may be associated with or operated for the benefit of a user (e.g., a smart power meter).

[0043] The UE 400 includes processing circuitry 402 that is operatively coupled via a bus 404 to an input / output interface 406, a power source 408, a memory 410, a communication interface 412, and / or any other component, or any combination thereof. Certain UEs may utilize all or asubset of the components shown in Figure 4. The level of integration between the components may vary from one UE to another UE. Further, certain UEs may contain multiple instances of a component, such as multiple processors, memories, transceivers, transmitters, receivers, etc.

[0044] The processing circuitry 402 is configured to process instructions and data and may be configured to implement any sequential state machine operative to execute instructions stored as machine-readable computer programs in the memory 410. The processing circuitry 402 may be implemented as one or more hardware-implemented state machines (e.g., in discrete logic, field- programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), etc.); programmable logic together with appropriate firmware; one or more stored computer programs, general-purpose processors, such as a microprocessor or digital signal processor (DSP), together with appropriate software; or any combination of the above. For example, the processing circuitry 402 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs).

[0045] In the example, the input / output interface 406 may be configured to provide an interface or interfaces to an input device, output device, or one or more input and / or output devices. Examples of an output device include a speaker, a sound card, a video card, a display, a monitor, a printer, an actuator, an emitter, a smartcard, another output device, or any combination thereof. An input device may allow a user to capture information into the UE 400. Examples of an input device include a touch-sensitive or presence- sensitive display, a camera (e.g., a digital camera, a digital video camera, a web camera, etc.), a microphone, a sensor, a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a trackpad, a scroll wheel, a smartcard, and the like. The presence-sensitive display may include a capacitive or resistive touch sensor to sense input from a user. A sensor may be, for instance, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a tilt sensor, a force sensor, a magnetometer, an optical sensor, a proximity sensor, a biometric sensor, etc., or any combination thereof. An output device may use the same type of interface port as an input device. For example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port may be used to provide an input device and an output device.

[0046] In some embodiments, the power source 408 is structured as a battery or battery pack. Other types of power sources, such as an external power source (e.g., an electricity outlet), photovoltaic device, or power cell, may be used. The power source 408 may further include power circuitry for delivering power from the power source 408 itself, and / or an external power source, to the various parts of the UE 400 via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical power cable. Delivering power may be, for example, for charging of the power source 408. Power circuitry may perform any formatting, converting, or other modification to the power from the power source 408 to make the power suitable for the respective components of the UE 400 to which power is supplied.

[0047] The memory 410 may be or be configured to include memory such as random accessmemory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disks, optical disks, hard disks, removable cartridges, flash drives, and so forth. In one example, the memory 410 includes one or more application programs 414, such as an operating system, web browser application, a widget, gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data 416. The memory 410 may store, for use by the UE 400, any of a variety of various operating systems or combinations of operating systems.

[0048] The memory 410 may be configured to include a number of physical drive units, such as redundant array of independent disks (RAID), flash memory, USB flash drive, external hard disk drive, thumb drive, pen drive, key drive, high-density digital versatile disc (HD-DVD) optical disc drive, internal hard disk drive, Blu-Ray optical disc drive, holographic digital data storage (HDDS) optical disc drive, external mini-dual in-line memory module (DIMM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), external micro-DIMM SDRAM, smartcard memory such as tamper resistant module in the form of a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) including one or more subscriber identity modules (SIMs), such as a USIM and / or ISIM, other memory, or any combination thereof. The UICC may for example be an embedded UICC (eUICC), integrated UICC (iUICC) or a removable UICC commonly known as ‘SIM card.’ The memory 410 may allow the UE 400 to access instructions, application programs and the like, stored on transitory or non-transitory memory media, to off-load data, or to upload data. An article of manufacture, such as one utilizing a communication system may be tangibly embodied as or in the memory 410, which may be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.

[0049] The processing circuitry 402 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using the communication interface 412. The communication interface 412 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna 422. The communication interface 412 may include one or more transceivers used to communicate, such as by communicating with one or more remote transceivers of another device capable of wireless communication (e.g., another UE or a network node in an access network). Each transceiver may include a transmitter 418 and / or a receiver 420 appropriate to provide network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocations, and so forth). Moreover, the transmitter 418 and receiver 420 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 422) and may share circuit components, software or firmware, or alternatively be implemented separately.

[0050] In the illustrated embodiment, communication functions of the communication interface 412 may include cellular communication, Wi-Fi communication, LPWAN communication, data communication, voice communication, multimedia communication, short-range communications such as Bluetooth, near-field communication, location-based communication such as the use of the global positioning system (GPS) to determine a location, another like communication function, or any combination thereof. Communications may be implemented in according to one or more communication protocols and / or standards, such as IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiplexing Access (CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), GSM, LTE, New Radio (NR), UMTS, WiMax, Ethernet, transmission control protocol / internet protocol (TCP / IP), synchronous optical networking (SONET), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), QUIC, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and so forth.

[0051] Regardless of the type of sensor, a UE may provide an output of data captured by its sensors, through its communication interface 412, via a wireless connection to a network node. Data captured by sensors of a UE can be communicated through a wireless connection to a network node via another UE. The output may be periodic (e.g., once every 15 minutes if it reports the sensed temperature), random (e.g., to even out the load from reporting from several sensors), in response to a triggering event (e.g., when moisture is detected an alert is sent), in response to a request (e.g., a user initiated request), or a continuous stream (e.g., a live video feed of a patient).

[0052] As another example, a UE comprises an actuator, a motor, or a switch, related to a communication interface configured to receive wireless input from a network node via a wireless connection. In response to the received wireless input the states of the actuator, the motor, or the switch may change. For example, the UE may comprise a motor that adjusts the control surfaces or rotors of a drone in flight according to the received input or to a robotic arm performing a medical procedure according to the received input.

[0053] A UE, when in the form of an Internet of Things (loT) device, may be a device for use in one or more application domains, these domains comprising, but not limited to, city wearable technology, extended industrial application and healthcare. Non-limiting examples of such an loT device are a device which is or which is embedded in: a connected refrigerator or freezer, a TV, a connected lighting device, an electricity meter, a robot vacuum cleaner, a voice controlled smart speaker, a home security camera, a motion detector, a thermostat, a smoke detector, a door / window sensor, a flood / moisture sensor, an electrical door lock, a connected doorbell, an air conditioning system like a heat pump, an autonomous vehicle, a surveillance system, a weather monitoring device, a vehicle parking monitoring device, an electric vehicle charging station, a smart watch, a fitness tracker, a wearable for tactile augmentation or sensory enhancement, a water sprinkler, an animal- or item-tracking device, a sensor for monitoring a plant or animal, an industrial robot, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), and any kind of medical device, like a heart rate monitor or a remote controlled surgical robot. A UE in the form of an loT device comprises circuitry and / or software in dependence of the intended application of the loT device in addition to othercomponents as described in relation to the UE 400 shown in Figure 4.

[0054] As yet another specific example, in an loT scenario, a UE may represent a machine or other device that performs monitoring and / or measurements, and transmits the results of such monitoring and / or measurements to another UE and / or a network node. The UE may in this case be an M2M device, which may in a 3GPP context be referred to as an MTC device. As one particular example, the UE may implement the 3GPP NB-IoT standard. In other scenarios, a UE may represent a vehicle, such as a car, a bus, a truck, a ship and an airplane, or other equipment that is capable of monitoring and / or reporting on its operational status or other functions associated with its operation.

[0055] In practice, any number of UEs may be used together with respect to a single use case. For example, a first UE might be or be integrated in a drone and provide the drone’s speed information (obtained through a speed sensor) to a second UE that is a remote controller operating the drone. When the user makes changes from the remote controller, the first UE may adjust the throttle on the drone (e.g. by controlling an actuator) to increase or decrease the drone’s speed. The first and / or the second UE can also include more than one of the functionalities described above. For example, a UE might comprise the sensor and the actuator, and handle communication of data for both the speed sensor and the actuators.

[0056] Figure 5 shows a network node 500 in accordance with some embodiments. As used herein, network node refers to equipment capable, configured, arranged and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with a UE and / or with other network nodes or equipment, in a telecommunication network. Examples of network nodes include, but are not limited to, access points (APs) (e.g., radio access points), base stations (BSs) (e.g., radio base stations, Node Bs, evolved Node Bs (eNBs) and NR NodeBs (gNBs)), O-RAN nodes or components of an O-RAN node (e.g., O-RU, O-DU, O-CU).

[0057] Base stations may be categorized based on the amount of coverage they provide (or, stated differently, their transmit power level) and so, depending on the provided amount of coverage, may be referred to as femto base stations, pico base stations, micro base stations, or macro base stations. A base station may be a relay node or a relay donor node controlling a relay. A network node may also include one or more (or all) parts of a distributed radio base station such as centralized digital units, distributed units (e.g., in an O-RAN access node) and / or remote radio units (RRUs), sometimes referred to as Remote Radio Heads (RRHs). Such remote radio units may or may not be integrated with an antenna as an antenna integrated radio. Parts of a distributed radio base station may also be referred to as nodes in a distributed antenna system (DAS).

[0058] Other examples of network nodes include multiple transmission point (multi-TRP) 5G access nodes, multi-standard radio (MSR) equipment such as MSR BSs, network controllers suchas radio network controllers (RNCs) or base station controllers (BSCs), base transceiver stations (BTSs), transmission points, transmission nodes, multi-cell / multicast coordination entities (MCEs), Operation and Maintenance (O&M) nodes, Operations Support System (OSS) nodes, Self-Organizing Network (SON) nodes, positioning nodes (e.g., Evolved Serving Mobile Location Centers (E-SMLCs)), and / or Minimization of Drive Tests (MDTs).

[0059] The network node 500 includes a processing circuitry 502, a memory 504, a communication interface 506, and a power source 508. The network node 500 may be composed of multiple physically separate components (e.g., a NodeB component and a RNC component, or a BTS component and a BSC component, etc.), which may each have their own respective components. In certain scenarios in which the network node 500 comprises multiple separate components (e.g., BTS and BSC components), one or more of the separate components may be shared among several network nodes. For example, a single RNC may control multiple NodeBs. In such a scenario, each unique NodeB and RNC pair, may in some instances be considered a single separate network node. In some embodiments, the network node 500 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, some components may be duplicated (e.g., separate memory 504 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., a same antenna 510 may be shared by different RATs). The network node 500 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node 500, for example GSM, WCDMA, LTE, NR, WiFi, Zigbee, Z-wave, LoRaWAN, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) or Bluetooth wireless technologies. These wireless technologies may be integrated into the same or different chip or set of chips and other components within network node 500.

[0060] The processing circuitry 502 may comprise a combination of one or more of a microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, central processing unit, digital signal processor, application- specific integrated circuit, field programmable gate array, or any other suitable computing device, resource, or combination of hardware, software and / or encoded logic operable to provide, either alone or in conjunction with other network node 500 components, such as the memory 504, to provide network node 500 functionality.

[0061] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 502 includes a system on a chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 502 includes one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 512 and baseband processing circuitry 514. In some embodiments, the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 512 and the baseband processing circuitry 514 may be on separate chips (or sets of chips), boards, or units, such as radio units and digital units. In alternative embodiments, part or all of RF transceiver circuitry 512 and baseband processing circuitry 514 may be on the same chip or set of chips, boards, or units.

[0062] The memory 504 may comprise any form of volatile or non-volatile computer-readable memory including, without limitation, persistent storage, solid-state memory, remotely mounted memory, magnetic media, optical media, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), mass storage media (for example, a hard disk), removable storage media (for example, a flash drive, a Compact Disk (CD) or a Digital Video Disk (DVD)), and / or any other volatile or non-volatile, non-transitory device-readable and / or computer-executable memory devices that store information, data, and / or instructions that may be used by the processing circuitry 502. The memory 504 may store any suitable instructions, data, or information, including a computer program, software, an application including one or more of logic, rules, code, tables, and / or other instructions capable of being executed by the processing circuitry 502 and utilized by the network node 500. The memory 504 may be used to store any calculations made by the processing circuitry 502 and / or any data received via the communication interface 506. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 502 and memory 504 is integrated.

[0063] The communication interface 506 is used in wired or wireless communication of signaling and / or data between a network node, access network, and / or UE. As illustrated, the communication interface 506 comprises port(s) / terminal(s) 516 to send and receive data, for example to and from a network over a wired connection. The communication interface 506 also includes radio front-end circuitry 518 that may be coupled to, or in certain embodiments a part of, the antenna 510. Radio front-end circuitry 518 comprises filters 520 and amplifiers 522. The radio front-end circuitry 518 may be connected to an antenna 510 and processing circuitry 502. The radio front-end circuitry may be configured to condition signals communicated between antenna 510 and processing circuitry 502. The radio front-end circuitry 518 may receive digital data that is to be sent out to other network nodes or UEs via a wireless connection. The radio front-end circuitry 518 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 520 and / or amplifiers 522. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 510. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 510 may collect radio signals which are then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 518. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 502. In other embodiments, the communication interface may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components.

[0064] In certain alternative embodiments, the network node 500 does not include separate radio front-end circuitry 518, instead, the processing circuitry 502 includes radio front-end circuitry and is connected to the antenna 510. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuitry 512 is part of the communication interface 506. In still other embodiments, the communication interface 506 includes one or more ports or terminals 516, the radio front-endcircuitry 518, and the RF transceiver circuitry 512, as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface 506 communicates with the baseband processing circuitry 514, which is part of a digital unit (not shown).

[0065] The antenna 510 may include one or more antennas, or antenna arrays, configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. The antenna 510 may be coupled to the radio front-end circuitry 518 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and / or signals wirelessly. In certain embodiments, the antenna 510 is separate from the network node 500 and connectable to the network node 500 through an interface or port.

[0066] The antenna 510, communication interface 506, and / or the processing circuitry 502 may be configured to perform any receiving operations and / or certain obtaining operations described herein as being performed by the network node. Any information, data and / or signals may be received from a UE, another network node and / or any other network equipment. Similarly, the antenna 510, the communication interface 506, and / or the processing circuitry 502 may be configured to perform any transmitting operations described herein as being performed by the network node. Any information, data and / or signals may be transmitted to a UE, another network node and / or any other network equipment.

[0067] The power source 508 provides power to the various components of network node 500 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at a voltage and current level needed for each respective component). The power source 508 may further comprise, or be coupled to, power management circuitry to supply the components of the network node 500 with power for performing the functionality described herein. For example, the network node 500 may be connectable to an external power source (e.g., the power grid, an electricity outlet) via an input circuitry or interface such as an electrical cable, whereby the external power source supplies power to power circuitry of the power source 508. As a further example, the power source 508 may comprise a source of power in the form of a battery or battery pack which is connected to, or integrated in, power circuitry. The battery may provide backup power should the external power source fail.

[0068] Embodiments of the network node 500 may include additional components beyond those shown in Figure 5 for providing certain aspects of the network node’s functionality, including any of the functionality described herein and / or any functionality necessary to support the subject matter described herein. For example, the network node 500 may include user interface equipment to allow input of information into the network node 500 and to allow output of information from the network node 500. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for the network node 500. In some embodiments providing a core network node, such as core network node 108 of FIG. 3, some components, suchas the radio front-end circuitry 518 and the RF transceiver circuitry 512 may be omitted.

[0069] Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 600 in which functions implemented by some embodiments may be virtualized. In the present context, virtualizing means creating virtual versions of apparatuses or devices which may include virtualizing hardware platforms, storage devices and networking resources. As used herein, virtualization can be applied to any device described herein, or components thereof, and relates to an implementation in which at least a portion of the functionality is implemented as one or more virtual components. Some or all of the functions described herein may be implemented as virtual components executed by one or more virtual machines (VMs) implemented in one or more virtual environments 600 hosted by one or more of hardware nodes, such as a hardware computing device that operates as a network node, UE, core network node, or host. Further, in embodiments in which the virtual node does not require radio connectivity (e.g., a core network node or host), then the node may be entirely virtualized. In some embodiments, the virtualization environment 600 includes components defined by the O-RAN Alliance, such as an O-Cloud environment orchestrated by a Service Management and Orchestration Framework via an O-2 interface. Virtualization may facilitate distributed implementations of a network node, UE, core network node, or host.

[0070] Applications 602 (which may alternatively be called software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) are run in the virtualization environment Q400 to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0071] Hardware 604 includes processing circuitry, memory that stores software and / or instructions executable by hardware processing circuitry, and / or other hardware devices as described herein, such as a network interface, input / output interface, and so forth. Software may be executed by the processing circuitry to instantiate one or more virtualization layers 606 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs 608a and 608b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as VMs 608), and / or perform any of the functions, features and / or benefits described in relation with some embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer 606 may present a virtual operating platform that appears like networking hardware to the VMs 608.

[0072] The VMs 608 comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interface and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 606. Different embodiments of the instance of a virtual appliance 602 may be implemented on one or more of VMs 608, and the implementations may be made in different ways. Virtualization of the hardware is in some contexts referred to as network function virtualization (NFV). NFV may be used toconsolidate many network equipment types onto industry standard high volume server hardware, physical switches, and physical storage, which can be located in data centers, and customer premise equipment.

[0073] In the context of NFV, a VM 608 may be a software implementation of a physical machine that runs programs as if they were executing on a physical, non-virtualized machine. Each of the VMs 608, and that part of hardware 604 that executes that VM, be it hardware dedicated to that VM and / or hardware shared by that VM with others of the VMs, forms separate virtual network elements. Still in the context of NFV, a virtual network function is responsible for handling specific network functions that run in one or more VMs 608 on top of the hardware 604 and corresponds to the application 602.

[0074] Hardware 604 may be implemented in a standalone network node with generic or specific components. Hardware 604 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 604 may be part of a larger cluster of hardware (e.g. such as in a data center or CPE) where many hardware nodes work together and are managed via management and orchestration 610, which, among others, oversees lifecycle management of applications 602. In some embodiments, hardware 604 is coupled to one or more radio units that each include one or more transmitters and one or more receivers that may be coupled to one or more antennas. Radio units may communicate directly with other hardware nodes via one or more appropriate network interfaces and may be used in combination with the virtual components to provide a virtual node with radio capabilities, such as a radio access node or a base station. In some embodiments, some signaling can be provided with the use of a control system 612 which may alternatively be used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.

[0075] Although the computing devices described herein (e.g., UEs, network nodes) may include the illustrated combination of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise computing devices with different combinations of components. It is to be understood that these computing devices may comprise any suitable combination of hardware and / or software needed to perform the tasks, features, functions and methods disclosed herein. Determining, calculating, obtaining or similar operations described herein may be performed by processing circuitry, which may process information by, for example, converting the obtained information into other information, comparing the obtained information or converted information to information stored in the network node, and / or performing one or more operations based on the obtained information or converted information, and as a result of said processing making a determination. Moreover, while components are depicted as single boxes located within a larger box, or nested within multiple boxes, in practice, computing devices may comprise multiple different physical components that make up a single illustrated component, and functionality may be partitionedbetween separate components. For example, a communication interface may be configured to include any of the components described herein, and / or the functionality of the components may be partitioned between the processing circuitry and the communication interface. In another example, non-computationally intensive functions of any of such components may be implemented in software or firmware and computationally intensive functions may be implemented in hardware.

[0076] Figure 7A is a flowchart illustrating a method 700 performed by a user equipment (UE) of a plurality of UEs that receive a plurality of orthogonal cover codes (OCC) sequences for concurrently transmitting to a network node on the same time-frequency resources. The UE can be any of the UEs described above, such as UE 312A or UE 312B. The plurality of UEs may be UE312A-UE312D and can be any type of UEs. The network node can be any type of network node described above, e.g., network node 310A or 310B. With reference to Figure 7, in block 702 of method 700, a UE receives an orthogonal cover codes (OCC) sequence of the plurality of OCC sequences. The plurality of OCC sequences are assigned to respective ones of the plurality of UEs. In block 704, the UE transmits, through a narrowband physical uplink shared channel (NPUSCH) format 1, to the network node on the same time-frequency resources shared by other UEs of the plurality of UEs. In block 706, the plurality of UEs concurrently transmit through the narrowband physical uplink for a single-tone or multi-tone transmission having a first subcarrier spacing (SCS). In block 708, the appliance of the plurality of OCC sequences is with respect to one or more OFDM symbols, one or more time-domain slots, or a time-domain resource unit.

[0077] Figure 7B is a flowchart illustrating a method 720 performed by a network node, which receives concurrent transmissions on the same time-frequency resources from a plurality of user equipments (UEs) that receive a plurality of orthogonal cover codes (OCC) sequences. Method 720 corresponds to method 700, but is performed by a network node communicating concurrently with multiple UEs. With reference to Figure 7B, in block 722, the network node sends, to a UE of the plurality of UEs, an orthogonal cover codes (OCC) sequence of the plurality of OCC sequences. The plurality of OCC sequences are assigned to respective ones of the plurality of UEs. In block 724, the network node receives, through a narrowband physical uplink shared channel (NPUSCH) format, from the UE on the same time-frequency resources shared by other UEs of the plurality of UEs. In block 726, the network node concurrently receives from the plurality of UEs through the narrowband physical uplink for a single-tone or multi-tone transmission having a first subcarrier spacing (SCS). In block 728, the appliance of the plurality of OCC sequences is with respect to one or more OFDM symbols, one or more time-domain slots, or a time-domain resource unit. Methods 700 and 720 are described in greater detail below in combination using various examples, such as applying OCC sequences of different lengths withrespect to one or more OFDM symbols, one or more time-domain slots, or a time-domain resource unit.

[0078] Next, details of increasing the uplink capacity using OCCs on NPUSCH Format 1 with 3.75 kHz SCS. The co-existence of NPURSCH and NPRACH in transmission using OCCs will be described later.

[0079] In one embodiment, a plurality of orthogonal cover codes OCCs are assigned, received, and applied by a plurality of UEs for transmitting NPUSCH Format 1 with 3.75 kHz SCS simultaneously on the same time-frequency resources. The OCC sequences spanning on the time-frequency resources account for the resource unit (RU) length on which a transport block of NPUSCH Format 1 with 3.75 kHz SCS is mapped. For example, a transport block can map to a resource unit or multiple resource units (e.g., up to 10). Each resource unit has 16 time-domain slots, and each time-domain slot can have multiple symbols (e.g., 7). A time-domain slot is also simply referred to as a slot. The OCC sequences can be applied with respect to one or more timedomain resource unit, one or more time-domain slots, or one or more OFDM symbols.

[0080] In some embodiments, the OCC sequences account for the resource unit (RU) using as reference and granularity in the frequency-domain the “Number of consecutive subcarriers in an UL resource unit for NB-IoT” (denoted as A'^.1' ) and in the time-domain the “Number of consecutive slots in an UL resource unit for NB-IoT” (denoted as Afs^s)._For example, A's'Ji;= 1= 16, wherein the slot duration can be 2 ms. In this example, in the frequency domain, the RU has a single-tone (e.g., 3.75 kHz SCS) and in the time domain, the RU has 16 slots with a total of 32 ms duration.

[0081] In one embodiment, the OCC sequences received by the UE to transmit NPUSCH Format 1 with 3.75 kHz SCS can be re-used to increase the UL capacity. For example, the capacity of NPUSCH Format 1 with 3.75 kHz SCS can be doubled using only two OCC sequences which length can be for example a power of 2, since each A's'Ji;is associated to different timefrequency resources (i.e., different and independent single-tones) in the transmission bandwidth assigned to NPUSCH Format 1.

[0082] In one embodiment, the UL capacity of NPUSCH Format 1 with 3.75 kHz SCS can be tripled using three OCC sequences or quadrupled using four OCC sequences and so on using the same principle as in the previous embodiment until the DL capacity becomes a bottleneck, wherein the length of the OCC sequences can be for example a power of 2.

[0083] In the following example as shown in Table 2, each of the OCC sequences has a length of A^ = 16. Each of the OCC sequences can be applied to a time-domain slot of different UEs to enable the multiple UEs to transmit on the same time-frequency resources, thereby increasingthe uplink capacity.Table 2: Orthogonal sequences of length 16.

[0084] In another example shown below in Table 3, each of the OCC sequences has a length 2. The OCC sequence can be applied to symbols or time-domain slots.Table 3: Orthogonal sequences of length 2.

[0085] Figure 8 illustrates an example of applying OCCs to symbols in resource unit. With reference to Figure 8, OCCs 806 are provided for appliance to the symbols of multiple UEs (e.g., UE1, UE2, ... UEn). Each of OCCs 806 has a length of 2, and there are two OCC sequences in OCCs 806. Each of the OCC sequences in OCCs 806 is orthogonal to the other OCC sequence, and therefore can be applied to the symbols of RUs transmitted by different UEs. As shown in Figure 8, UE1 can transmit various time-domain slots (e.g., 16) in a RU. Each of the time-domain slot include multiple OFDM symbols. In the example shown, a first time-domain slot includes 7 symbols 802A-802G and a guard period 803. An OCC sequence 806 having a length of 2 can beapplied to at least some of symbols 802A-802G. Applying the OCC sequence to the symbols is also referred to as symbol spreading. Similarly, another OCC sequence of OCCs 806 having a length of 2 can be applied to at least some of symbols 804A-804G. The OCC sequences in OCCs 806 are orthogonal to each other, and therefore, after symbol spreading, the symbols in RUs of different UEs (e.g., UE1 and UE2) can be transmitted concurrently on the same time-frequency resource to a network node, thereby increasing the uplink capacity. In the symbols shown in Figure 8, some area data symbols, and some are non-data symbols (e.g., DMRS - demodulation reference signal symbols). The UEs can transmit concurrently, for example, through a narrowband physical uplink shared channel (NPUSCH) format 1 having a single-tone or 1 consecutive subcarrier of 3.75 kHz SCS. With the OCC spreading, symbols from different UEs can be mixed or combined and transmitted to the network node on the same time-frequency resource.

[0086] Figures 9A-9B illustrate an example of applying OCCs to time-domain slots in a resource unit. The example shown in Figures 9A-9B spreads the NPUSCH Format 1 transmissions with 3.75 kHz SCS using as reference= 16. That is, in this example, an OCC sequence is applied to time-domain slots, where the time-domain resource unit has 16 time-domain slots, and a slot duration of the time-domain resource unit is 2 ms. In frequency domain, the resource has a single-tone with 3.75 kHz SCS. In Figure 9A, for instance, the OCCs 906 has a length of 2, and each OCC sequence in OCCs 906 is orthogonal to other OCC sequence. The RU 900 includes 16 time-domain slots such as slots 902 A and 902B. Each time-domain slot has a duration of 2 ms, and therefore, the total duration of the RU 900 is 32 ms.

[0087] As shown in Figure 9B, the OCCs sequences 906 are applied to RUs of two UEs (UE1 and UE2) at the time-domain slot level. In this example, in the frequency domain, a single-tone (e.g., 3.75 kHz SCS) is used. After applying the OCC sequences (or spreading), UE1 and UE2 can transmit at the same time on the same time-frequency resource. Figure 9B illustrates single-tone NPUSCH Format 1 with 3.75 kHz SCS with two UEs transmitting on the same resources using two OCC sequences of length 2, e.g., spreading= 16 by 2. In Figure 9B, one OCC sequence having a length of 2 is applied to two RUs of UE1, each of the RUs has 16 time-domain slots. The other orthogonal OCC sequence having a length of 2 is applied to two RUS of UE2, each of the RUs have 16 time-domain slots. After spreading, the time-domain slots or RUs of UE1 and UE2 can be mixed or combined, and transmitted concurrently at the same time on the same timefrequency resource to a network node.

[0088] The below tables provide examples of two RUs with a single-tone spread having a granularity of 2ms slot, so UE1 and UE2 can transmit at the same time.

[0089] UE 1

[0090] UE 2

[0091] As described above, the OCC spreading granularity can be an OFDM symbol, or a slot, or a Resource Unit. The above example are for illustration of OCC spreading at the symbol level or the slot level with a single-tone of 3.75 KHz SCS. In general, the capacity of the uplink for the single-tone or multi-tone transmission can be increased N times with N OCC sequences, where N is an integer number.

[0092] Figures 10A-10B illustrate an example of applying OCCs to time-domain slots in a resource unit. The example shown in Figures 10A-10B illustrates increasing the uplink capacity by using OCCs on NPUSCH Format 1 with 15 kHz SCS for single-tone transmission. In one embodiment, a plurality of orthogonal cover codes OCCs are assigned, received, and applied by a plurality of UEs for transmitting NPUSCH Format 1 with 15 kHz SCS simultaneously on the same time-frequency resources. The OCC sequences spanning on the time-frequency resources account for the resource unit (RU) length on which a transport block of NPUSCH Format 1 with 15 kHz SCS is mapped. For example, a transport block can map to a resource unit or multiple resource units (e.g., up to 10). Each resource unit has 16 time-domain slots, and each time-domain slot can have multiple symbols (e.g., 7). A time-domain slot is also simply referred to as a slot. The OCC sequences can be provided based on the resource unit length, the number of slots, and the number of symbols

[0093] In this example, the NPUSCH Format 1 with 15 kHz SCS for single-tone transmissions is described. In one dependent embodiment, the OCC sequences account for the resource unit (RU) using as reference and granularity in the frequency-domain the “Number of consecutive subcarriers in an UE resource unit for NB-IoT” (denoted as Ns^u) and in the time-domain “Number of consecutive slots in an UL resource unit for NB-IoT” (denoted as A^s).

[0094] In one embodiment, A'7 = 1 and = 16, wherein the slot duration is 0.5 ms. As shown in Figure 9A, the RU 1000 includes 16 time-domain slots such as slots 1002 A and 1002B.Each time-domain slot has a duration of 0.5 ms, and therefore, the total duration of the RU 900 is 8 ms.

[0095] In one embodiment, the OCC sequences received by the UE to transmit NPUSCH Format 1 with 15 kHz SCS can be re-used to increase the UL capacity. For example, the capacity of NPUSCH Format 1 with 15 kHz SCS can be doubled using only two OCC sequences which length can be for example a power of 2, since each Ns^uis associated to different timefrequency resources (e.g., different and independent single-tones) in the transmission bandwidth assigned to NPUSCH Format 1. In Figure 9A, the OCCs 1006 has a length of 2.

[0096] In one embodiment, the UE capacity of NPUSCH Format 1 with 15 kHz SCS can be tripled using three OCC sequences or quadrupled using four OCC sequences and so on using the same principle as in the previous embodiment until the DE capacity becomes a bottleneck, wherein the length of the OCC sequences can be for example a power of 2.

[0097] As shown in Figure 10B, the OCCs sequences 1006 are applied to RUs of two UEs (UE1 and UE2) at the time-domain slot level. In this example, in the frequency domain, a singletone (e.g., 15 KHz SCS) is used. After applying the OCC sequences (or spreading), UE1 and UE2 can transmit at the same time on the same time-frequency resource. Figure 10B illustrates singletone NPUSCH Format 1 with 15 kHz SCS with two UEs transmitting on the same resources using two OCC sequences of length 2, e.g., spreading 2VS^S= 16 by 2. In Figure 10B, one OCC sequence having a length of 2 is applied to two RUs of UE1, each of the RUs has 16 time-domain slots. The other orthogonal OCC sequence having a length of 2 is applied to two RUS of UE2, each of the RUs have 16 time-domain slots. After spreading, the time-domain slots or RUs of UE1 and UE2 can be mixed or combined, and transmitted concurrently at the same time on the same timefrequency resource to a network node.

[0098] The above descriptions give examples of single-tone transmissions. The below example describes NPUSCH Format 1 with 15 kHz SCS for multi-tone transmissions. In one embodiment, for NPUSCH Format 1 with 15 kHz SCS for multi-tone transmission, the example allocations are 3-subcarriers, 6-subcarriers, and 12-subcarriers which have associated RUs equal to 4ms, 2ms, and 1ms respectively, thus the orthogonal cover codes spanning on the timefrequency resources account for= 3, 6, and 12, along with ^slots= 8, 4, and 2 respectively. In the multi-tone transmissions, the OCC sequences can be applied with respect to one or more of a frequency-domain resource having 3, 6, or 12 subcarriers used for the multi-tone transmission and the time-domain resource unit having 8, 4, or 2 time-domain slots.

[0099] In one embodiment, for multi-tone transmissions, the same or similar techniques as the ones described in the above section for supporting OCC on the time-frequency resources of / VULNPUSCH Format 1 with 15 kHz SCS apply, assuming = 3, 6, and 12, along with ''sl,,,s= 8, 4, and 2 respectively. And therefore, the application of the OCC sequences for multi-tone transmissions are not repeatedly described. Each of the OCC sequences can be applied at the symbol level, at the slot level, or at the time-domain resource unit with respect to each one of the multi-tones, thereby significantly increasing the uplink capacity of transmission from multiple UEs at the same time. For instance, in a multi-tone transmission, similar to the single-tone transmission described above, an OCC sequence can be applied to symbols, where a time-domain slot can have 7 symbols.

[0100] The above examples provide methods of increasing uplink capacity by OCC spreading for transmission on time-frequency resource of NPUSCH Format 1 with single-tone or multi-tone. As describe above, NPRACH and NPUSCH can co-exist and can be used for simultaneous transmission. Next, embodiments are provided for increasing the uplink capacity by applying OCCs on NPRACH.

[0101] In one embodiment, a plurality of orthogonal cover codes OCCs are assigned, received, and applied by a plurality of UEs for transmitting NPRACH with 3.75 kHz SCS simultaneously on the same time-frequency resources, wherein the OCC sequences spanning on the time-frequency resources account for the basic NPRACH repetition unit including four symbol groups and the frequency hopping applied on those symbol groups. An example of frequency hopping is described above using Table 0 and Figure 2.

[0102] For example, for introducing OCC for NPRACH, an orthogonal sequence of length equal to the number of symbol groups in a preamble repetition unit is used (e.g., an OCC sequence length 4). Four UEs using frequency hopping patterns resulting in back-to-back frequency resource utilization are assigned the four OCC sequences. The 4 UEs are paired as a function of frequency hopping patterns that qualify to have back-to-back transmissions on the same subcarrier or tone index.

[0103] With reference back to Table 0 and Figure 2, an example of the back-to-back arrangement for subcarrier# 0 is bolded below. In this example, subcarrier#0 is an example of the frequency resource utilized back-to-back among the 4 UEs.

[0104] UE1 (NPRACH Preamble 0): subcarrier#0 for symbol groupO, subcarrier#l for symbol groupl, subcarrier#7 for symbol group2, and subcarrier#6 for symbol group3.

[0105] UE2 (NPRACH Preamble 1): subcarrier#l for symbol groupO, subcarrier#0 for symbol groupl, subcarrier#6 for symbol group2, and subcarrier#7 for symbol group3.

[0106] UE3 (NPRACH Preamble 7): subcarrier#7 for symbol groupO, subcarrier#6 for symbol groupl, subcarrier#0 for symbol group2, and subcarrier# 1 for symbol group3.

[0107] UE4 (NPRACH Preamble 6): subcarrier#6 for symbol groupO, subcarrier#7 forsymbol groupl, subcarrier#l for symbol group2, and subcarrier#O for symbol group3.

[0108] The Table 4 below illustrates the spreading of symbol group 0 (i.e., first symbol group out of the four composing a preamble repetition unit) of Preamble 0, where the spreading spans across adjacent symbol groups of other NPRACH preambles using subcarrier#0. Thus, for applying the spreading those other NPRACH preambles (in this example UEs using NPRACH preambles 1, 6, and 7) would have to be assigned OCC sequences.Table 4: Illustration of the spreading of symbol group 0 of Preamble 0 across subcarrier#0 of adjacent symbol groups of other NPRACH Preambles.

[0109] In one embodiment, the performance requirements for NPRACH defined in 3GPP TS 36.141 clause 8.5.3 set the upper limit for the number of UEs transmitting on the same NPRACH resource using OCC, as to preserve the current total probability of false detection of the preamble (Pfa) and the probability of detection of the preamble (Pd).

[0110] In one embodiment, the performance requirements for NPRACH defined in TS 36.141 clause 8.5.3 can be relaxed for the support of OCC on NPRACH, such that the total probability of false detection of the preamble (Pfa) and the probability of detection of the preamble (Pd) are higher than currently stipulated in TS 36.141 clause 8.5.3.

[0111] The Random Access Preamble ID (RAPID) will also take the OCC sequence into account, different UEs with same time-frequency NPRACH resource but different OCCs can have different RAPID so they can be distinguished by Random Access Response.

[0112] The above descriptions provide examples of increasing uplink capacity by applying OCCs in NPUSCH transmission or NPUSCH / NPRACH transmissions. The following descriptionprovide some OCC assignment and pairing aspects.

[0113] In one embodiment, the UEs that can potentially be scheduled (e.g., paired) to transmit simultaneously using OCC, are selected by the network entity based on one or more of the following aspects: traffic characteristics, number of repetitions, modulation schemes, location, power, short-term performance records, long-term performance records, etc.

[0114] In one embodiment pairing the most suitable UEs to transmit simultaneously using OCCs is essential towards preserving orthogonality, otherwise the orthogonality may suffer from an unsuitable UE pairing (e.g., if the UEs being paired happen to be too unbalanced in terms of transmit power).

[0115] In one embodiment, a given UE is assigned an OCC using dynamic signaling through receiving scheduling information via Downlink Control Information (DO). In one embodiment, the DO size is increased by one or more bits as to introduce a new field associated with the OCC assignment. In one dependent embodiment the DO size is unchanged, and one or more bits of an existing field or fields are repurposed as to introduce a new field associated with the OCC assignment. In one embodiment, a given UE is assigned an OCC using semi-static signaling via a Radio Resource Control (RRC) configuration.

[0116] One or more of the embodiments in previous sections are used in one or more beams transmitted from a given satellite. One or more of the embodiments in previous sections are used in a deployment having one beam per cell. One or more of the embodiments in previous sections are used in a deployment having more than one beam per cell. In one embodiment, one or more of the embodiments in previous sections are equally applicable to a non-terrestrial network scenario based on transparent payload or regenerative payload. In one embodiment, one or more of the embodiments in previous sections are equally applicable to different satellite orbits such as LEO (low earth orbit), MEO (medium earth orbit), and GEO (geostationary earth orbit).

[0117] In certain embodiments, some or all of the functionality described herein may be provided by processing circuitry executing instructions stored on in memory, which in certain embodiments may be a computer program product in the form of a non-transitory computer- readable storage medium. In alternative embodiments, some or all of the functionality may be provided by the processing circuitry without executing instructions stored on a separate or discrete device-readable storage medium, such as in a hard-wired manner. In any of those particular embodiments, whether executing instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or not, the processing circuitry can be configured to perform the described functionality. The benefits provided by such functionality are not limited to the processing circuitry alone or to other components of the computing device, but are enjoyed by the computing device as a whole, and / or by end users and a wireless network generally.

[0118] Throughout the specification and claims, the following terms take the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise:

[0119] The phrase “in one embodiment” as used herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, though it may. Thus, as described below, various embodiments of the invention may be readily combined, without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.

[0120] As used herein, the term “or” is an inclusive “or” operator and is equivalent to the term“and / or,” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0121] The term “based on” is not exclusive and allows for being based on additional factors not described unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0122] As used herein, and unless the context dictates otherwise, the term “coupled to” is intended to include both direct coupling (in which two elements that are coupled to each other contact each other) and indirect coupling (in which at least one additional element is located between the two elements). Therefore, the terms “coupled to” and “coupled with” are used synonymously. Within the context of a networked environment where two or more components or devices are able to exchange data, the terms “coupled to” and “coupled with” are also used to mean “communicatively coupled with”, possibly via one or more intermediary devices.

[0123] In addition, throughout the specification, the meaning of “a”, “an”, and “the” includes plural references, and the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on”.

[0124] Although some of the various embodiments presented herein constitute a single combination of inventive elements, it should be appreciated that the inventive subject matter is considered to include all possible combinations of the disclosed elements. As such, if one embodiment comprises elements A, B, and C, and another embodiment comprises elements B and D, then the inventive subject matter is also considered to include other remaining combinations of A, B, C, or D, even if not explicitly discussed herein. Further, the transitional term “comprising” means to have as parts or members, or to be those parts or members. As used herein, the transitional term “comprising” is inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.The foregoing specification is to be understood as being in every respect illustrative and exemplary, but not restrictive, and the scope of the disclosure herein is not to be determined from the specification, but rather from the claims as interpreted according to the full breadth permitted by the patent laws. It is to be understood that the embodiments shown and described herein are only illustrative of the principles of the present disclosure and that various modifications may be implemented by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art could implement various other feature combinations without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A method (700) performed by a user equipment (UE) of a plurality of UEs that receive a plurality of orthogonal cover codes (OCC) sequences for concurrently transmitting to a network node on the same time-frequency resources, the method comprising: receiving (702) an orthogonal cover codes (OCC) sequence of the plurality of OCC sequences, wherein the plurality of OCC sequences are assigned to respective ones of the plurality of UEs; and transmitting (704), through a narrowband physical uplink shared channel (NPUSCH) format1. to the network node on the same time-frequency resources shared by other UEs of the plurality of UEs, wherein: the plurality of UEs concurrently transmit through the narrowband physical uplink for a single-tone or multi-tone transmission having a first subcarrier spacing (SCS), and appliance of the plurality of OCC sequences is with respect to one or more OFDM symbols, one or more time-domain slots, or a time-domain resource unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first SCS is 3.75 kHz.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the OCC sequence is applied to the time-domain slots, the time-domain resource unit has 16 time-domain slots, and a slot duration of the time-domain resource unit is 2 ms.

4. The method of any of claims 2-3, wherein the OCC sequence is applied to the symbols and a time-domain slot has 7 symbols and a guard period.

5. The method of any of claims 1-4, wherein a frequency-domain resource comprises 1 consecutive subcarrier corresponding to the single-tone used in an uplink (UL) for NB-IoT (narrow-band Internet of Things) and the time-domain resource unit has 16 consecutive timedomain slots in an UL resource unit for NB-IoT.

6. The method of any of claims 1-5, wherein a capacity of the uplink for the single-tone or multi-tone transmission is increased N times with N OCC sequences, where N is an integer number.

7. The method of any of claims 1-6, the OCC sequence has a length of 2.

8. The method of any of claims 1, the first SCS is 15 kHz for the single-tone transmission.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the OCC sequence is applied to time-domain slots, the timedomain resource unit has 16 time-domain slots, and a slot duration is 0.5 ms.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first SCS is 15 kHz for multi-tone transmissions.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the OCC sequences are applied with respect to one or more of a frequency-domain resource having 3, 6, or 12 subcarriers used for the multi-tone transmission and the time-domain resource unit having 8, 4, or 2 time-domain slots.

12. The method of any of claims 10-11, wherein the OCC sequence is applied to the symbols and a time-domain slot of the one or more time-domain slots has 7 symbols.

13. The method of any of claims 1-12, wherein the plurality of OCC sequences are further assigned for transmitting according to a narrowband physical random access channel (NPRACH) format having a second subcarrier spacing (SCS) of 3.75 kHz.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein an OCC sequence of the plurality of OCC sequences has a length that is equal to a number of symbol groups in a preamble repetition unit.

15. The method of any of claims 13-14, wherein different UEs of the plurality of UEs with the same time-frequency NPRACH resources and different OCC sequences have different random access preamble IDs (RAPIDs).

16. The method of any of claims 1-15, wherein an upper limit of the number of UEs concurrently transmitting on the same time-frequency resources using OCC sequences is based on one or more performance requirements.

17. The method of any of claims 1-16, wherein receiving the OCC sequence is based on scheduling information via downlink control information (DO).

18. The method of claim 17, wherein at least one of: a size of the DO is increased by one or more bits for a new field associated with OCCsequence assignment; the size of the DO is unchanged, and one or more bits of an existing field or fields are repurposed for a new field associated with the OCC sequence assignment; or the UE is assigned the OCC sequence using semi-static signaling via radio resource control (RRC) configuration.

19. A method (720) performed by a network node receiving concurrent transmissions on the same time-frequency resources from a plurality of user equipments (UEs) that receive a plurality of orthogonal cover codes (OCC) sequences, the method comprising: sending (722), to a UE of the plurality of UEs, an orthogonal cover codes (OCC) sequence of the plurality of OCC sequences, wherein the plurality of OCC sequences are assigned to respective ones of the plurality of UEs; and receiving (724), through a narrowband physical uplink shared channel (NPUSCH) format, from the UE on the same time-frequency resources shared by other UEs of the plurality of UEs, wherein: the network node concurrently receives from the plurality of UEs through the narrowband physical uplink for a single-tone or multi-tone transmission having a first subcarrier spacing (SCS), and appliance of the plurality of OCC sequences is with respect to one or more OFDM symbols, one or more time-domain slots, or a time-domain resource unit.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first SCS is 3.75 kHz.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the OCC sequence is applied to the time-domain slots, the time-domain resource unit has 16 time-domain slots, and a slot duration of the time-domain resource unit is 2 ms.22 The method of any of claims 20-21, wherein the OCC sequence is applied to the symbols and a time-domain slot of the one or more time-domain slots has 7 symbols and a guard period.

23. The method of any of claims 20-22, wherein a frequency-domain resource has 1 consecutive subcarrier corresponding to the single-tone used in an uplink (UL) for NB-IoT (narrow-band Internet of Things) and the time-domain resource unit has 16 consecutive slots in an UL resource unit for NB-IoT.

24. The method of any of claims 19-23, wherein a capacity of the uplink for the single-tone or multi-tone transmission is increased N times with N OCC sequences, where N is an integer number.

25. The method of any of claims 19-24, the OCC sequence has a length of 2.

26. The method of claim 19, the first SCS is 15 kHz for the single-tone transmission.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the OCC sequence is applied to slots, the time-domain resource unit has 16 time-domain slots, and a slot duration is 0.5 ms.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein the first SCS is 15 kHz for multi-tone transmissions.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the OCC sequences are applied with respect to one or more of a frequency-domain resource having 3, 6, or 12 subcarriers used for the multi-tone transmission and the time-domain resource unit having 8, 4, or 2 time-domain slots.

30. The method of any of claims 28-29, wherein the OCC sequence is applied to the symbols and a time-domain slot has 7 symbols.

31. The method of any of claims 19-30, wherein the plurality of OCC sequences are further assigned for transmitting according to a narrowband physical random access channel (NPRACH) format having a second subcarrier spacing (SCS) of 3.75 kHz.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein an OCC sequence of the plurality of OCC sequences has a length that is equal to a number of symbol groups in a preamble repetition unit.

33. The method of any of claims 31-32, wherein different UEs of the plurality of UEs with the same time-frequency NPRACH resources and different OCC sequences have different random access preamble IDs (RAPIDs).

34. The method of any of claims 19-33, wherein an upper limit of the number of UEs concurrently transmitting on the same time-frequency resources using OCC sequences is based on one or more performance requirements.

35. The method of any of claims 19-34, wherein receiving the OCC sequence is based onscheduling information via downlink control information (DO).

36. The method of claim 35, wherein at least one of: a size of the DO is increased by one or more bits for a new field associated with OCC sequence assignment; the size of the DO is unchanged, and one or more bits of an existing field or fields are repurposed for a new field associated with the OCC sequence assignment; or the UE is assigned the OCC sequence using semi-static signaling via radio resource control (RRC) configuration.

37. A user equipment, comprising: processing circuitry configured to perform any of the steps of any of the claims 1-18; and power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

38. A network node, the network node comprising: processing circuitry configured to perform any of the steps of any of the claims 19-36; power supply circuitry configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

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