Multiple slot transmission in SBFD operation

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are described for multiple slot transmission in SBFD operation. Certain embodiments comprise receiving, by a UE from a network node, an indication that multi- slot transmission should be either: restricted to SBFD or non-SBFD slots; or can be transmitted across SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols in different slots. Further steps can include: according to the indication, performing the one or more multi-slot transmission operations, and the one or more multi-slot transmission operations comprise at least one of: receiving a PDSCH transmission over multi-slot slots; transmitting a PUSCH transmission over multi-slot slots; and transmitting a PUCCH transmission over multi-slot slots.

Description

MULTIPLE SLOT TRANSMISSION IN SBFD OPERATION CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED INFORMATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of United States of America priority application 63 / 555,324 filed on February 19, 2024, titled “Multiple Slot Transmission in SBFD Operation.” TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to apparatus and methods for performing multi-slot transmission operations in SBFD operation. BACKGROUND

[0003] New radio (NR) standard in 3rdGeneration Partnership Project (3GPP) is being designed to provide service for multiple use cases such as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable and low latency communication (URLLC), and machine type communication (MTC). Each of these services has different technical requirements. For example, the general requirement for eMBB is high data rate with moderate latency and moderate coverage, while URLLC service requires a low latency and high reliability transmission but perhaps for moderate data rates. Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary radio resource in NR.

[0004] In Rel-15 NR, a UE can be configured with up to four carrier bandwidth parts in the downlink with a single downlink carrier bandwidth part being active at a given time. A UE can be configured with up to four carrier bandwidth parts in the uplink with a single uplink carrier bandwidth part being active at a given time.

[0005] An NR slot consists of several orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols, according to current agreements either 7 or 14 symbols (OFDM subcarrier spacing ≤ 60 kHz) and 14 symbols (OFDM subcarrier spacing > 60 kHz). Figure 2 shows a NR slot with 14 OFDM symbols. In Figure 2, ^^^and ^^^௬^^denote the slot and OFDM symbol duration, respectively. Figure 2 illustrates a NR slot.FDD and TDD Systems

[0006] Transmission and reception from a node, e.g. a terminal in a cellular system, can be multiplexed in the frequency domain or in the time domain (or combinations thereof). Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) as illustrated to the left in Figure 3 implies that downlink and uplink transmission take place in different, sufficiently separated, frequency bands. Time Division Duplex (TDD), as illustrated to the right in Figure 3, implies that downlink and uplink transmission take place in different, non-overlapping time slots. Thus, TDD can operate in unpaired spectrum, whereas FDD requires paired spectrum. Figure 3 illustrates frequency- and time-division duplex.

[0007] Typically, the structure of the transmitted signal in a communication system is organized in the form of a frame structure. For example, NR uses ten equally-sized slots per radio frame as illustrated in Figure 4 for the case of 15 kHz subcarrier spacing. Figure 4 illustrates uplink / downlink time / frequency structure in case of FDD or TDD.

[0008] In case of FDD operation (upper part of Figure 4), there are two carrier frequencies, one for uplink transmission (fUL) and one for downlink transmission (fDL). At least with respect to the terminal in a cellular communication system, FDD can be either full duplex or half duplex. In the full duplex case, a terminal can transmit and receive simultaneously, while in half-duplex operation, the terminal cannot transmit and receive simultaneously (the base station is capable of simultaneous reception / transmission though, e.g. receiving from one terminal while simultaneously transmitting to another terminal). In Long Term Evolution (LTE), a half-duplex terminal is monitoring / receiving in the downlink except when explicitly being instructed to transmit in a certain subframe.

[0009] In case of TDD operation (lower part of Figure 4), there is only a single carrier frequency and uplink and downlink transmissions are always separated in time also on a cell basis. As the same carrier frequency is used for uplink and downlink transmission, both the base station and the mobile terminals need to switch from transmission to reception and vice versa. An essential aspect of any TDD system is to provide the possibility for a sufficiently large guard time where neither downlink nor uplink transmissions occur. This is required to avoid interference between uplink and downlink transmissions. For NR, this guard time is provided by special subframes, which are split into three parts: symbols for DL, a guard period (GP), and symbols for uplink. The remaining subframes are either allocated to uplink or downlink transmission.

[0010] In more detail, the following two information elements (IEs) are defined in current specifications. The TDD pattern is typically configured with at least the first IE and optionally the 2ndIE: ^ TDD-DL-UL-ConfigCommon (cell-specific)^ TDD-DL-UL-ConfigDedicated (UE-specific)

[0011] The first IE is cell specific (common to all UEs) and is provided by broadcast signaling. It provides the number of slots in the TDD pattern via a reference subcarrier spacing and a periodicity such that the S-slot pattern repeats every S slots. This IE allows for very flexible configuration of the pattern characterized as follows: ^ A number of full downlink slots at the beginning of the pattern configured by the parameter nDownlinkSlots ^ A number of full uplink slots at the end of the pattern configured by the parameter nUplinkSlots ^ A number of downlink ('D') symbols following the full downlink slots configured by the parameter nDownlinkSymbols ^ A number of uplink ('U') symbols preceding the full downlink slots configured by the parameter nUplinkSlots ^ If there is a gap between the last downlink symbol and the first uplink symbol, then all symbols in the gap are characterized as flexible ('F'). A symbol classified as 'F' can be used for downlink or uplink. A UE determines the direction in one of the following two ways: a. Detecting a downlink control information (DCI) that schedules / triggers a DL signal / channel, e.g., physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), channel state information – reference signal (CSI-RS) or schedules / triggers an uplink (UL) signal / channel, e.g. physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH), sounding reference signal (SRS), etc. b. By dedicated (UE-specific) signaling of the IE TDD-DL-UL- ConfigDedicated. This parameter overrides some or all of the 'F' symbols in the pattern, thus providing a semi-static indication of whether a symbol is classified as 'D' or 'U' ^ Optionally, a 2ndpattern that is concatenated to the first pattern can be configured as above. If a 2ndpattern is configured, the constraint is that the sum of the periodicities of the two patterns must evenly divide 20 ms.

[0012] Figure 5 shows an exemplary TDD DL / UL pattern configured by TDD-DL- UL-ConfigCommon. It consists of 3 full 'D' slots, 1 full 'U' slot, with a mixed slot in between consisting of 4 'D' symbols and 3 'U' symbols. The remaining 7 symbols in the mixed slot areclassified as 'F.' As shown in Figure 5, an exemplary TDD DL / UL pattern consisting of S = 5 slots. TDD-DL-UL-ConfigCommon configures the cell-specific pattern, and TDD-DL-UL- ConfigDedicated (if provided) UE-specifically configures the direction for some or all of the 'F' symbols in the cell-specific pattern.

[0013] If a UE is not configured with TDD-DL-UL-ConfigDedicated, then the pattern at the top of the diagram is what it assumes. As stated above, the network can make use of the 'F' symbols flexibly, by scheduling / triggering either an uplink or a downlink signal / channel in a UE specific manner. This allows for very dynamic behavior: the direction is not known to the UE a priori; rather, the direction becomes known once the UE detects a DCI scheduling / triggering a particular DL or UL signal / channel.

[0014] In contrast, the DL / UL direction for some or all of the 'F' symbols in a particular slot can be provided to the UE in a semi-static manner by RRC configuring the UE with TDD-DL-UL-ConfigDedicated. The lower part of Figure 5 shows three exemplary configurations for overriding 'F' symbols in Slot 3. If the IE indicates 'allDownlink' or 'allUplink' for a particular slot (or slots), then all 'F' symbols in the slot are converted to either 'D' or 'U,' respectively. If the IE indicates 'explicit,' then a number of symbols at the beginning of the slot and / or a number of symbols at the end of the slot are indicated as 'D' and 'U,' respectively. In the example below, the first 7 and the last 5 are indicated as 'D' and 'U', which converts some of the 'F' symbols (but not all in this example) to 'D' and 'U.'

[0015] The key behavior in the above is that the UE-specific IE TDD-DL-UL- ConfigDedicated can only override (i.e., specify 'D' or 'U') for symbols that are configured as 'F' by the cell-specific IE TDD-DL-UL-ConfigCommon. In other words, a UE does not expect to have a 'D' symbol converted to 'U' or vice versa.

[0016] Figure 6 shows three additional exemplary TDD DL / UL patterns configured by TDD-DL-UL-ConfigCommon. In the first and second patterns, there are no 'F' symbols, hence according to current behavior in the Rel-17 specifications, the UE would not expect to be configured with TDD-DL-UL-ConfigDedicated. In the second pattern, all symbols in Slots 1, 2, and 3 are configured as 'F;' hence, the UE could be configured with TDD-DL-UL- ConfigDedicated to provide a direction ('D' or 'U') for any or all symbols in these 3 slots. Note that the current (Rel-17) specifications allow the dedicated configuration of the TDD pattern on a slot- specific basis. In other words, TDD-DL-UL-ConfigDedicated is not restricted to be the same in each slot where 'F' symbols are overridden.Subband Full Duplex

[0017] As described in the last section, in a conventional TDD system, entire carrier BW or all carriers in the same frequency band need to be utilizing the same DL transmission or UL reception directions. This is further illustrated in Figure 7, which shows a conventional TDD carrier or carrier systems.

[0018] For the Rel-18 evolution of the NR system, 3GPP has decided to study the technical feasibilities and potential benefits of subband full duplex (SBFD) systems.

[0019] In such a system, a portion of a wide bandwidth carrier may be used for a different direction than that of the rest of the carrier. This is illustrated in the left-hand side of Figure 8. That is, unlike a conventional TDD system as shown on the left-hand side of Figure 7 where the entire bandwidth is used for DL transmission in the first three slots, the center portion of the SBFD carrier is used for UL reception while the rest of the carrier continues to be used for DL transmission as shown in the left-hand side of Figure 8.

[0020] Similarly, instead of utilizing all carriers for the same DL or UL directions in a conventional TDD system as shown in the right-hand side of Figure 7, some carriers in the SBFD system can be used for a different direction than that of the other carriers as shown in the right-hand side of Figure 7.

[0021] In the 3GPP Rel-18 study, the scope has been limited such that in SBFD operation, only gNBs transmit DL and receive UL simultaneously. An individual UE is scheduled in only one direction (DL or UL) at a time. Figure 6 illustrates subband full duplex systems. Current UE Procedure for Determining Symbol Types

[0022] The current UE procedures to determine the symbol types are provided in 3GPP TS 38.213 Section 11.1. A portion of the procedure and notation definitions relevant to the disclosure of the present disclosure is reproduced below: ^ A slot format includes downlink symbols, uplink symbols, and flexible symbols. ^ The following are applicable for each serving cell. ^ If a UE is provided tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon, the UE sets the slot format per slot over a number of slots as indicated by tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon. ^ The tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon provides a. a reference SCS configuration ^refby referenceSubcarrierSpacing b. a pattern1. ^ The pattern1 providesa. a slot configuration period of P msec by dl-UL-TransmissionPeriodicity b. a number of slots dslotswith only downlink symbols by nrofDownlinkSlots c. a number of downlink symbols dsymby nrofDownlinkSymbols d. a number of slots uslotswith only uplink symbols by nrofUplinkSlots u e. a number of uplink symbolssymby nrofUplinkSymbols^ A value P =0.625 msec is valid only for ^^୰^^ ൌ 3, ^^୰^^ ൌ 5 ^^^^ ^^୰^^ ൌ 6. A valueP =1.25 msec is valid only for ^^୰^^ ൌ 2, ^^୰^^ ൌ 3, ^^୰^^ ൌ 5 ^^^^ ^^୰^^ ൌ 6. A valueP =2.5 msec is valid only for ^^୰^^ ൌ 1, ^^୰^^ ൌ 2, ^^୰^^ ൌ 3, ^^୰^^ ൌ 5 ^^^^ ^^୰^^ ൌ 6. Avalue P =10 msec is valid only for ^^୰^^ ൌ 0 , ^^୰^^ ൌ 1, ^^୰^^ ൌ 2, ^^୰^^ ൌ 3 or^^୰^^ ൌ 5.^ configurationP S ^ P^2^period of msec includes slots with SCS configuration^ ref. From theSslots, a firstd slotsslots includesymbolsu slotsslotsonly uplink symbols. Thed symsymbols after the firstd slotsslots are downlink symbols. Theu symsymbols before the lastu slotsslots are uplink symbols. The remaining^S ^d slotslots ^uslots ^ ^Nsymb ^dsym ^ u symare flexible symbols.^ The first symbol every 20 P periods is a first symbol in an even frame. ^ If tdd-UL-DL-ConfigurationCommon provides both pattern1 and pattern2, the UE sets the slot format per slot over a first number of slots as indicated by pattern1 and the UE sets the slot format per slot over a second number of slots as indicated by pattern2. ^ The pattern2 provides a. a slot configuration period of P2msec by dl-UL-TransmissionPeriodicity d b. a number of slotsslots,2with only downlink symbols by nrofDownlinkSlots d c. a number of downlink symbolssym,2by nrofDownlinkSymbols u d. a number of slotsslots,2with only uplink symbols by nrofUplinkSlots u e. a number of uplink symbolssym,2by nrofUplinkSymbols ^ The applicable values ofP2 are same as the applicable values for P .^ A slot configuration period ofP ^ P 2msec includes firstS ^ P^2^slots and second S^2 ^ P2 ^2 slots.^S 2slots, a firstd slots,2slots include only downlink symbols and a lastu slots,2include only uplink symbols. Thed sym,2symbols after the firstd slots,2slots are downlink symbols. Theu sym,2symbols before the lastu slots,2slots are uplink symbols. The remaining^S slot2 ^dslots,2^uslots,2 ^ ^Nsymb^dsym,2 ^ u sym,2are flexible symbols. ^ A UE expects thatP^ The first symbol every20 ^P ^ P2 ^periods is a first symbol in an even frame. Multiple Slot Transmission

[0023] 3GPP NR Rel-16 supports PDSCH and PUSCH repetitions in multiple consecutive slots which are subject to scheduling constraints imposed by common or dedicated TDD configurations and synchronization signal block (SSB) transmissions. The number of consecutive slots is determined by time domain resource allocation (TDRA) configuration in RRC and TDRA indicator in scheduling DCI. The same frequency domain and time domain resource allocation are used throughout the repetition occasions. The multiple PDSCH and PUSCH occasions carry the same user data, but with different redundancy version. Furthermore, to solve the problem of too many PUSCH repetitions being cancelled due to collision with DL slots (in a typical TDD scenario with high DL-UL slot ratio), in Rel-17 for PUSCH repetition Type A the available slot counting mechanism was introduced so that it becomes possible to indicate whether PUSCH repetitions should count on the basis of consecutive physical slots or available UL slots. PDSCH and PUSCH repetitions are supported for by dynamic scheduling and configured transmissions (i.e., SPS (Semi Persistent Scheduling) PDSCH and CG (Configured Grant) PUSCH).

[0024] Moreover, in PUSCH TBoMS (Transport Block over Multiple Slots) introduced in Rel-17, a single TB is transmitted over multiple slots. Its transport block size (TBS) is determined based on all the allocated REs in these slots and is no larger than the maximum size of one code block. TBoMS uses PUSCH repetition Type A-like time domain and frequency domain resource allocation, that is, the same UL symbols and the same number of PRBs are allocated across the slots of a TBoMS. TBoMS can be used in combination with PUSCH repetition, when the number of repetitions is present in the indicated row in the configured time domainresource allocation table, generating N*K PUSCH transmission occasions (K is the number of repetition and N is the number of slots for each PUSCH transmission). TBoMS can also be used with available slot counting. When available slot counting is enabled, TBoMS transmits only in UL slots determined based on the common and / or dedicated TDD configuration and SSB transmission.

[0025] It is an optional configuration to support multi-slot PDSCH or PUSCH transmission and not all the UEs support this capability. If the UE supports the capability, this should be informed to the network via the corresponding Information Element in UECapabilityInformation.

[0026] There currently exist certain challenges. Aggregation of multiple slots with Transport Block repetition is supported for PDSCH and PUSCH in NR. When a UE is scheduled to receive / transmit PDSCH / PUSCH with repetition, the UE should receive / transmit multiple PDSCH / PUSCH transmission occasions for the same Transport Block across a specific number of consecutive slots or available slots. In SBFD operation, the PDSCH / PUSCH transmission occasions can be mapped to one or more slots with legacy DL / UL symbols as well as to the DL / UL subband(s) in SBFD slots. The 3GPP specification needs to be enhanced to specify network and UE behaviors for PDSCH and PUSCH repetition in SBFD operation. SUMMARY

[0027] Certain embodiments under the present disclosure can provide systems and methods for multi-slot transmission operation with a variety of technical advantages. For example, certain embodiments allow aggregation of multiple slots with multi-slot transmissions for PDSCH and PUSCH with SBFD operation, for SBFD-capable UEs. Such technical capability is useful for SBFD because both PDSCH and PUSCH can be victim of DL-to-UL and UL-to-DL crosslink interference (CLI) , which can have a negative impact in DL and UL performance. Aggregation of multiple slots with Transport Block repetition reinforces reliability of the links, and TBoMS reinforces UL coverage, and latency performance can be improved, together with reliability and UL coverage.

[0028] One embodiment under the present disclosure comprises a method performed by a UE for performing one or more multi-slot transmission operations in SBFD operation. Steps include: receiving, from a network node, an indication that multi-slot transmission is either; restricted to SBFD symbols only or non-SBFD symbols only; or transmitted across SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols in different slots. Further steps include: according to the indication, performing the one or more multi-slot transmission operations, wherein the one or moremulti-slot transmission operations comprise at least one of; receiving one or more PDSCH transmissions; transmitting one or more PUSCH transmissions; and transmitting a PUCCH, over multiple slots.

[0029] Another possible method embodiment under the present disclosure is a method performed by a network node for performing one or more multi-slot transmissions in SBFD operation. Steps include: transmitting, to a UE, an indication that multi-slot transmission is either: restricted to SBFD symbols only or non-SBFD symbols only; or transmitted across SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols in different slots. Steps further comprise: according to the indication, performing the one or more multi-slot transmission operations, wherein the one or more multi-slot transmission operations comprise at least one of: sending one or more PDSCH transmissions over multiple slots; receiving one or more PUSCH transmissions over multiple slots; and receiving one or more PUCCH transmissions over multiple slots.

[0030] Another embodiment under the present disclosure comprises a UE for performing one or more multi-slot transmission operations in SBFD operation. The UE comprises processing circuitry and a memory. The memory stores instructions whereby the processing circuitry is operable to perform the steps of: receiving, from a network node, an indication that multi-slot transmission is either: restricted to SBFD symbols only or non-SBFD symbols only; or transmitted across SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols in different slots. Further steps include, according to the indication, performing the one or more multi-slot transmission operations, wherein the one or more multi-slot transmission operations comprise at least one of: receiving one or more PDSCH transmissions over multiple slots; transmitting one or more PUSCH transmissions over multiple slots; and transmitting one or more PUCCH transmissions over multiple slots.

[0031] Another embodiment under the present disclosure comprises a network node for performing one or more multi-slot transmission operations in SBFD operation. The network node comprises processing circuitry and a memory. The memory stores instructions whereby the processing circuitry is operable to perform the steps of: transmitting to a UE an indication that multi-slot transmission is either: restricted to SBFD symbols only or non-SBFD symbols only; or transmitted across SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols in different slots. Further steps include, according to the indication, performing the one or more multi-slot transmission operations, wherein the one or more multi-slot transmission operations comprise at least one of: sending one or more PDSCH transmissions over multiple slots; receiving one or more PUSCH transmissions over multiple slots; and receiving one or more PUCCH transmissions over multiple slots.

[0032] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an indication of the scope of the claimed subject matter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] For a more complete understanding of the present disclosure, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0034] Fig.1 illustrates an exemplary radio resource in NR;

[0035] Fig.2 illustrates a NR slot;

[0036] Fig.3 illustrates frequency- and time-division duplex;

[0037] Fig. 4 illustrates uplink / downlink time / frequency structure in case of FDD or TDD;

[0038] Fig.5 illustrates an exemplary TDD DL / UL pattern consisting of S = 5 slots;

[0039] Fig. 6 illustrates three additional exemplary cell-specific TDD DL / UL patterns (a), (b), and (c);

[0040] Fig.7 illustrates conventional TDD carrier or carrier systems;

[0041] Fig.8 illustrates subband full duplex systems;

[0042] Fig. 9 illustrates a flow-chart of a method embodiment under the present disclosure;

[0043] Fig. 10 illustrates a flow-chart of a method embodiment under the present disclosure;

[0044] Fig.11 illustrates PDSCH repetition in either SBFD or non-SBFD slots;

[0045] Fig.12 illustrates PDSCH repetitions in both SBFD and non-SBFD slots;

[0046] Fig.13 illustrates TBoMS in either SBFD or non-SBFD slots;

[0047] Fig.14 illustrates TBoMS in both SBFD and non-SBFD slots;

[0048] Fig. 15 illustrates a flow-chart of a method embodiment under the present disclosure;

[0049] Fig. 16 illustrates a flow-chart of a method embodiment under the present disclosure;

[0050] Fig. 17 illustrates a flow-chart of a method embodiment under the present disclosure;

[0051] Fig. 18 shows a schematic of a communication system embodiment under the present disclosure;

[0052] Fig. 19 shows a schematic of a user equipment embodiment under the present disclosure;

[0053] Fig.20 shows a schematic of a network node embodiment under the present disclosure;

[0054] Fig. 21 shows a schematic of a host embodiment under the present disclosure;

[0055] Fig. 22 shows a schematic of a virtualization environment embodiment under the present disclosure; and

[0056] Fig. 23 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of communication amongst nodes, hosts, and user equipment under the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0057] Before describing various embodiments of the present disclosure in detail, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the parameters of the particularly exemplified systems, methods, apparatus, products, processes, and / or kits, which may, of course, vary. Thus, while certain embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail, with reference to specific configurations, parameters, components, elements, etc., the descriptions are illustrative and are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the claimed embodiments. In addition, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing the embodiments and is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of the claimed embodiments.

[0058] There currently exist certain challenges. Aggregation of multiple slots with Transport Block repetition is supported for PDSCH and PUSCH in NR. In SBFD operation, the PDSCH / PUSCH transmission occasions can be mapped to slots with legacy DL / UL symbols as well as to the DL / UL subband(s) in SBFD slots. The 3GPP specification needs to be enhanced to specify network and UE behaviors for PDSCH and PUSCH repetition in SBFD operation.

[0059] Certain aspects of the disclosure and their embodiments may provide solutions to these or other challenges. Certain embodiments comprise systems and methods related to transmission repetitions across multiple slots in SBFD operation in NR. Certain embodiments include solutions using which multiple slot transmissions, including Transport Block repetitions, which are supported for PDSCH and PUSCH in NR, and PUSCH TBoMS, can be used also when the network operates SBFD. During SBFD operation different kinds of symbols can coexist in theframe / slot, both SBFD and non-SBFD. As a result, the current PDSCH and PUSCH multiple slot transmission mechanisms can be enhanced following two main options: 1) to restrict PDSCH and PUSCH transmissions in multiple slots to only one kind of symbols, SBFD symbols only or non- SBFD symbols only.2) PDSCH and PUSCH multiple slot transmissions can be allowed in SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols in multiple slots. That is, PDSCH / PUSCH multi-slot transmission occasions can be scheduled in DL / UL slots and DL / UL subband(s) in SBFD slots based on the TDD configuration with SBFD enhancement. The 3GPP specification needs to be enhanced to include network and UE behaviours necessary for PDSCH and PUSCH repetition and PUSCH TBoMS in SBFD operation and to communicate to the UE what option is followed.

[0060] One embodiment under the present disclosure, shown in Figure 9, comprises a method 800 for enhancement of PDSCH and PUSCH multi-slot transmissions for a UE in SBFD operation so that multi-slot transmissions are restricted to SBFD or non-SBFD slots. At step 810, the UE determines in what type of slots multi-slot transmissions should be transmitted. At step 820, the UE determines time domain resource assignment and rate-matching or puncturing scheme for each slot where multi-slot transmission is transmitted. At step 830, the UE counts multi-slot transmissions on the basis of consecutive slots or available slots as configured by the network. Method 800 can comprise a variety of additional, alternative, and / or optional steps or other variations.

[0061] Another embodiment, shown in Figure 10, comprises a method 1000 of enhancement of PDSCH and PUSCH multi-slot transmission for a UE in SBFD operation so that multi-slot transmissions can be transmitted in SBFD and non-SBFD slots. At step 1010, the UE determines time domain resource assignment and rate-matching or puncturing scheme for each slot where multi-slot transmission is transmitted. At step 1020, the UE counts multi-slot transmissions on the basis of consecutive slots or available slots as configured by the network. Method 1000 can comprise a variety of additional, alternative, and / or optional steps or other variations.

[0062] Certain embodiments may provide one or more of the following technical advantages. Certain embodiments would allow aggregation of multiple slots with multi-slot transmissions for PDSCH and PUSCH with SBFD operation, for SBFD-capable UEs. This feature is of interest for SBFD since both PDSCH and PUSCH could be victim of DL-to-UL and UL-to- DL crosslink interference (CLI), which would have a negative impact in DL and UL performance. Aggregation of multiple slots with Transport Block repetition reinforces reliability of the links, and TBoMS reinforces UL coverage, and depending on the selected embodiments, i.e. whether multi-slot PDSCH / PUSCH transmission are restricted to only SBFD or non-SBFD slots, orwhether mixture of slots are allowed, also latency performance can be improved, together with reliability and UL coverage.

[0063] If the UE supports multiple slots transmissions for PDSCH and PUSCH and the network operates SBFD, when the feature is enabled it should be established whether mixture slot types should be used for the multi-slot transmission occasions. Slot type can also be referred to as symbol type, e.g., SBFD symbol types or non-SBFD symbol types. For this purpose, at least the following options are possible: ^ It is defined by the specification, whether only one kind of slot or symbol (either SBFD or non SBFD) can be used for multi-slot transmissions (and in this case which type), or a mixture of slots can be used. ^ It is defined via RRC configuration. ^ It is indicated via a MAC CE. ^ It is indicated in the scheduling DCI. Example Embodiment 1

[0064] In certain embodiments under the present disclosure, for SBFD operation, repetition or TBoMS occasions for a multi-slot PDSCH or PUSCH transmission are restricted to either SBFD slots / symbol types or non-SBFD slots / symbol types. The same frequency domain resource indicated by the scheduling DCI or the semi-static configuration can be used throughout the multi-slot transmission occasions.

[0065] It is preferred that the UE understand whether PDSCH or PUSCH multi- slot transmissions should be transmitted in SBFD or non-SBFD slots / symbols. In a variant of the embodiment, this can be explicitly indicated by a field in the scheduling DCI or in the semi-static configuration. In another variant of the embodiment, whether PDSCH or PUSCH multi-slot transmissions should be transmitted in SBFD or non-SBFD slots / symbols can be implicitly derived based on semi-static configuration. In a non-limiting example, the determination is based on the type of slot in which the first valid transmission occasion occurs. Thereafter the PDSCH or PUSCH multi-slot transmission occasions in the succeeding slots with type other than the first occasion should be omitted.

[0066] Regarding the time domain resource allocation in the multi-slot transmission occasions, in a variant of the embodiment, the same time domain resource indicated by the scheduling DCI or the semi-static configuration are used throughout the multi-slot transmission occasions. In another variant of the embodiment, PDSCH or PUSCH transmission in a slot is rate-matched or punctured if some of the allocated OFDM symbols are determined as notavailable for the transmission. This provides more scheduling flexibility for PDSCH / PUSCH repetition.

[0067] The available slot counting mechanism introduced in Rel-17 for PUSCH Repetition Type A can be extended for PDSCH and PUSCH multi-slot transmission in SBFD operation, so that the multi-slot transmissions counting for PDSCH and PUSCH can be either based on consecutive slots or available slots. According to the teaching of this embodiment, when available slot counting is enabled, the PDSCH or PUSCH multi-slot transmissions can be counted by one or more slots with legacy DL / UL symbols or one or more slots with SBFD symbols, depending on what slot type the repetition is associated with.

[0068] A PDSCH repetition example is illustrated in Figure 11, which illustrates PDSCH repetition in either SBFD or non-SBFD slots. The number of repetitions is 8 and the PDSCH repetitions are restricted to SBFD slots. The first repetition is scheduled in slot 2 which is a SBFD slot. According to the certain versions of this embodiment, the UE can derive that the succeeding PDSCH repetitions are restricted to SBFD slots (slot 3, 6, 7, 8). The repetitions that fall into DL slots or UL slots (i.e., slot 4, 5, 9) are omitted. Example Embodiment 2

[0069] In certain embodiments for SBFD operation, multi-slot transmission occasions for a multi-slot PDSCH or PUSCH transmission can be transmitted across SBFD and non-SBFD slots / symbols in different slots.

[0070] In a variant of the embodiment, a single frequency domain resource assignment indication and a single time domain resource assignment indication allocation indicated by the scheduling DCI or the semi-static configuration can be used throughout the multi- slot transmission occasions. Interpretation of a FDRA indication can be different in a slot with legacy DL / UL symbols and in a slot with SBFD symbols, with methodologies described in United States Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 553,965, filed on February 15, 2024. PDSCH or PUSCH transmission in a slot is rate-matched or punctured if some of the allocated OFDM symbols are determined as not available for the transmission.

[0071] When scheduling a Transport Block (TB) for PDSCH or PUSCH with repetitions or a PUSCH TBoMS, and in case the first repetition occasion overlaps with a non SBFD slot, the gNB can preferably be careful that its size is not bigger than the size of the two DL subbands, in case of PDSCH, or the size of the UL subband in case of PUSCH.

[0072] The available slot counting mechanism introduced in Rel-17 for PUSCH Repetition Type A can be extended for PDSCH and PUSCH repetition in SBFD operation, so thatthe repetition counting for PDSCH and PUSCH can be based either on available slots. According to the teaching of this embodiment, when available slot counting is enabled, the PDSCH or PUSCH repetitions are counted by one or more slots with legacy DL / UL symbols and / or one or more slots with SBFD symbols wherever DL or UL resource are available for the transmission.

[0073] Figure 12 demonstrates a PDSCH repetition example where the number of repetitions is 8 and the PDSCH repetitions are transmitted in both SBFD and non-SBFD slots. The first repetition is scheduled in slot 0. According to the certain versions of this embodiment, the succeeding repetitions are transmitted in both SBFD and non-SBFD slots (slot 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7). The repetitions that fall into UL slot (i.e., slot 4) is omitted.

[0074] In certain embodiment, for a CG PUSCH configuration without repetitions, if the transmission occasions are across SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols where each transmission occasion has either all SBFD or all non-SBFD symbols, and for PUSCH repetition type-A across SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols in different slots where each repetition has either all SBFD or all non-SBFD symbols, and for multi-PUSCH scheduled by a single DCI across SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols, where each PUSCH within a slot has either all SBFD or all non-SBFD symbols, and for TBoMS across SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols in different slots, where each transmission within a slot has either all SBFD or all non-SBFD symbols, then single resource configuration / indication for non-SBFD symbols and RB offset(s) configuration / indication / determination to determine frequency resource for SBFD symbols, and the numbers of PRBs are the same for PUSCH transmissions in SBFD symbols and PUSCH transmissions in non-SBFD symbols. Example Embodiment 3

[0075] Certain embodiments can comprise TBoMS in SBFD operation. Even though the methodologies described in example embodiments 1 and 2 mainly focus on PDSCH and PUSCH repetition, for one with proper skills in the art, it is straightforward to apply the methodologies to PUCCH repetition / transmission, PUSCH TBoMS or any other multi-slot transmission schemes (e.g., multi-PDSCH, multi-PUSCH) in similar situations.

[0076] Two examples of TBoMS in SBFD operation are provided in Figure 13 and Figure 14. Figure 13 illustrates TBoMS in either SBFD or non-SBFD slots. Figure 14 illustrates TBoMS in both SBFD and non-SBFD slots. In the first example TBoMS is restricted to SBFD slots determined based on the slot type of the first transmission occasion. In the second example TBoMS can be transmitted in both SBFD and non-SBFD slots.Example Embodiment 4

[0077] In certain embodiments, the gNB can configure a separate time domain allocation list, e.g., pusch-TimeDomainAllocationListForSBFD, specific to be applied in the SBFD slots. When the PUSCH repetitions are scheduled across SBFD and non-SBFD slots to the SBFD-capable UE via a DCI, the UE can use the same index to fetch different sets of {PUSCH mapping Type, K2, S, L} from two different tables, one for SBFD slots and the other for non- SBFD slots. This allows to discriminate the time domain resources between SBFD and non-SBFD slots. In another variant of this embodiment, one time domain allocation list is used with each row consisting of two sets of {PUSCH mapping Type, K2, S, L}, one corresponds to SBFD slots and the other for non-SBFD slots. The legacy UEs can interpret the entries of non-SBFD while the SBFD-capable UEs utilize the same index indicated in DCI to fetch two sets of {PUSCH mapping Type, K2, S, L} that are applied for SBFD and non-SBFD slots, respectively. Similar approach can also be adopted to the PDSCH repetitions by the one who is skilled in the art. Additional Embodiments

[0078] Another possible method embodiment under the present disclosure is shown in Figure 15. Method 2300 comprises a method performed by a UE for performing one or more multi-slot transmission operations in SBFD operation. Step 2310 is receiving, from a network node, an indication that multi-slot transmission is either: restricted to SBFD symbols only or non- SBFD symbols only; or transmitted across SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols in different slots. Step 2320 is according to the indication, performing the one or more multi-slot transmission operations, wherein the one or more multi-slot transmission operations comprise at least one of: receiving one or more PDSCH transmissions over multiple slots; transmitting one or more PUSCH transmissions over multiple slots; and transmitting one or more PUCCH transmissions over multiple slots. Method 2300 can comprise a variety of additional, alternative, and / or optional steps or other variations. For example, some variations can further comprise any of the following steps: detecting in what type of slots the one or more multi-slot transmission operations should be transmitted; determining a time domain resource assignment and rate-matching or puncturing scheme for each slot where multi-slot transmission is transmitted; and counting multi-slot transmissions on the basis of consecutive slots or available slots as configured by the network. Some variations can further comprise restricting the PDSCH and PUSCH transmissions in multiple slots to only one kind of symbol: SBFD symbols only or non-SBFD symbols only. Some variations can further comprise the multi-slot transmission (e.g., PDSCH transmission, PUSCH transmission, PUCCH transmission) is transmitted across SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols in differentslots. Some embodiments can comprise, wherein for SBFD operation, repetition or TBoMS, occasions for a multi-slot PDSCH or PUSCH transmission can be restricted to either SBFD slots / symbols or non-SBFD slots / symbols. In some variations, wherein whether PDSCH or PUSCH multi-slot transmissions should be transmitted in SBFD and / or non-SBFD slots / symbols is explicitly indicated by a field in a scheduling DCI or in a semi-static configuration. In some variations, wherein whether PDSCH or PUSCH multi-slot transmissions should be transmitted in SBFD and / or non-SBFD slots / symbols can be implicitly derived based on a semi-static configuration. In some embodiments, wherein thereafter any subsequent PDSCH or PUSCH multi- slot transmission occasions in succeeding slots with type other than a first occasion should be omitted. In some embodiments, wherein, when available slot counting is enabled, the PDSCH or PUSCH multi-slot transmissions are counted by one or more slots with legacy DL / UL symbols or one or more slots with SBFD symbols, depending on what slot type a repetition is associated with. In some cases, when an available slot counting mechanism is not enabled, then PDSCH or PUSCH multi-slot transmissions are counted by consecutive slot.

[0079] Another possible method embodiment under the present disclosure is shown in Figure 16. Method 2500 comprises a method performed by a UE for performing one or more multi-slot transmission operations in SBFD operation. Step 2510 is determining time domain resource assignment and rate-matching or puncturing scheme for each slot where multi-slot transmission is transmitted. Step 2520 is counting one or more multi-slot transmissions on the basis of consecutive slots or available slots as configured by a network. Step 2530 is receiving a PDSCH multi-slot transmission. Step 2540 is transmitting a PUSCH multi-slot transmission, wherein for SBFD operation, multi-slot transmission occasions for a PDSCH or PUSCH multi- slot transmission can be transmitted across SBFD and non-SBFD slots / symbols. Method 2500 can comprise a variety of additional, alternative, and / or optional steps or other variations. For example, in some variations the PDSCH multi-slot and / or PUSCH multi-slot transmissions comprise SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols in multiple slots. In some embodiments, multi-slot occasions for the PDSCH multi-slot and / or PUSCH multi-slot can be scheduled in one or more DL / UL slots and one or more DL / UL subbands in SBFD slots based on a TDD configuration with SBFD enhancement. In some variations, when scheduling a TB for PDSCH or PUSCH with repetitions or a PUSCH, TBoMS, and in case a first repetition occasion overlaps with a non SBFD slot, a network node ensures that its size is never bigger than; the size of the two DL, subbands, in case of PDSCH; or the size of the UL subband in case of PUSCH. In some cases, when available slot counting is enabled, the PDSCH or PUSCH repetitions are counted by one or more slots with legacy DL / UL symbols and one or more slots with SBFD symbols wherever DL or UL resourceare available for the transmission. In some variations, when an available slot counting mechanism is not enabled, the PDSCH or PUSCH multi-slot transmissions are counted by consecutive slot.

[0080] Another possible method embodiment under the present disclosure is shown in Figure 17. Method 2700 comprises a method performed by a network node for enhancement of one or more multi-slot transmissions in SBFD operation. Step 2710 is transmitting, to a UE, an indication that multi-slot transmission is either: restricted to SBFD symbols only or non-SBFD symbols only; or transmitted across SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols in different slots. Step 2720 is according to the indication, performing the one or more multi-slot transmission operations, wherein the one or more multi-slot transmission operations comprise at least one of: sending one or more PDSCH transmissions over multiple slots; receiving one or more PUSCH transmissions over multiple slots; and receiving one or more PUCCH transmissions over multiple slots. Method 2700 can comprise a variety of additional, alternative, and / or optional steps or other variations. For example, some variations can further comprise receiving one or more multi-slot transmissions from the UE, wherein the one or more multi-slot transmissions resulted from the process of: detecting, by the UE, in what type of slots multi-slot transmissions should be performed; determining, by the UE, time domain resource assignment and rate-matching or puncturing scheme for each slot where multi-slot transmission is performed; and counting, by the UE, multi-slot transmissions on the basis of consecutive slots or available slots as configured by the network.

[0081] Figure 18 shows an example of a communication system 3100 in accordance with some embodiments. In the example, the communication system 3100 includes a telecommunication network 3102 that includes an access network 3104, such as a RAN, and a core network 2106, which includes one or more core network nodes 3108. The access network 3104 includes one or more access network nodes, such as network nodes 3110a and 3110b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as network nodes 3110), or any other similar 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) access node or non-3GPP access point. The network nodes 3110 facilitate direct or indirect connection of UE, such as by connecting UEs 3112a, 3112b, 3112c, and 3112d (one or more of which may be generally referred to as UEs 3112) to the core network 3106 over one or more wireless connections.

[0082] 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 3100 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 dataand / or signals whether via wired or wireless connections. The communication system 3100 may include and / or interface with any type of communication, telecommunication, data, cellular, radio network, and / or other similar type of system.

[0083] The UEs 3112 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 3110 and other communication devices. Similarly, the network nodes 3110 are arranged, capable, configured, and / or operable to communicate directly or indirectly with the UEs 3112 and / or with other network nodes or equipment in the telecommunication network 3102 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 3102.

[0084] In the depicted example, the core network 3106 connects the network nodes 3110 to one or more hosts, such as host 3116. 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 3106 includes one more core network nodes (e.g., core network node 3108) 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 2108. 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).

[0085] The host 3116 may be under the ownership or control of a service provider other than an operator or provider of the access network 3104 and / or the telecommunication network 3102, and may be operated by the service provider or on behalf of the service provider. The host 3116 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.

[0086] As a whole, the communication system 3100 of Figure 18 enables connectivity between the UEs, network nodes, and hosts. In that sense, the communication systemmay 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.

[0087] In some examples, the telecommunication network 3102 is a cellular network that implements 3GPP standardized features. Accordingly, the telecommunications network 3102 may support network slicing to provide different logical networks to different devices that are connected to the telecommunication network 3102. For example, the telecommunications network 3102 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 IoT services to yet further UEs.

[0088] In some examples, the UEs 3112 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 3104 on a predetermined schedule, when triggered by an internal or external event, or in response to requests from the access network 3104. 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).

[0089] In the example, the hub 3114 communicates with the access network 3104 to facilitate indirect communication between one or more UEs (e.g., UE 3112c and / or 3112d) and network nodes (e.g., network node 3110b). In some examples, the hub 3114 may be a controller, router, content source and analytics, or any of the other communication devices described herein regarding UEs. For example, the hub 3114 may be a broadband router enabling access to the core network 3106 for the UEs. As another example, the hub 3114 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 3110, or by executable code, script, process, or other instructions in the hub 3114. As another example, the hub 3114 may be a data collector that actsas temporary storage for UE data and, in some embodiments, may perform analysis or other processing of the data. As another example, the hub 3114 may be a content source. For example, for a UE that is a VR headset, display, loudspeaker or other media delivery device, the hub 3114 may retrieve VR assets, video, audio, or other media or data related to sensory information via a network node, which the hub 3114 then provides to the UE either directly, after performing local processing, and / or after adding additional local content. In still another example, the hub 3114 acts as a proxy server or orchestrator for the UEs, in particular in if one or more of the UEs are low energy IoT devices.

[0090] The hub 3114 may have a constant / persistent or intermittent connection to the network node 3110b. The hub 3114 may also allow for a different communication scheme and / or schedule between the hub 3114 and UEs (e.g., UE 3112c and / or 3112d), and between the hub 3114 and the core network 3106. In other examples, the hub 2114 is connected to the core network 3106 and / or one or more UEs via a wired connection. Moreover, the hub 3114 may be configured to connect to an M2M service provider over the access network 3104 and / or to another UE over a direct connection. In some scenarios, UEs may establish a wireless connection with the network nodes 3110 while still connected via the hub 3114 via a wired or wireless connection. In some embodiments, the hub 3114 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 3110b. In other embodiments, the hub 3114 may be a non-dedicated hub – that is, a device which is capable of operating to route communications between the UEs and network node 3110b, but which is additionally capable of operating as a communication start and / or end point for certain data channels.

[0091] Figure 19 shows a UE 3200 in accordance with some embodiments. 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 device, playback appliance, wearable terminal device, wireless endpoint, mobile station, tablet, laptop, laptop-embedded equipment (LEE), laptop-mounted equipment (LME), smart device, wireless customer-premise equipment (CPE), 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.

[0092] 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).

[0093] The UE 3200 includes processing circuitry 3202 that is operatively coupled via a bus 3204 to an input / output interface 3206, a power source 3208, a memory 3210, a communication interface 3212, and / or any other component, or any combination thereof. Certain UEs may utilize all or a subset of the components shown in Figure 19. 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.

[0094] The processing circuitry 3202 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 3210. The processing circuitry 3202 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 2202 may include multiple central processing units (CPUs).

[0095] In the example, the input / output interface 3206 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 3200. 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. Asensor 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.

[0096] In some embodiments, the power source 3208 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 3208 may further include power circuitry for delivering power from the power source 3208 itself, and / or an external power source, to the various parts of the UE 3200 via input circuitry or an interface such as an electrical power cable. Delivering power may be, for example, for charging of the power source 3208. Power circuitry may perform any formatting, converting, or other modification to the power from the power source 3208 to make the power suitable for the respective components of the UE 3200 to which power is supplied.

[0097] The memory 3210 may be or be configured to include memory such as random access memory (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 3210 includes one or more application programs 3214, such as an operating system, web browser application, a widget, gadget engine, or other application, and corresponding data 3216. The memory 3210 may store, for use by the UE 3200, any of a variety of various operating systems or combinations of operating systems.

[0098] The memory 3210 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 3210 may allow the UE 3200 to access instructions, application programs and the like, stored on transitory or non-transitory memory media, to off-load data, or to upload data. Anarticle of manufacture, such as one utilizing a communication system may be tangibly embodied as or in the memory 3210, which may be or comprise a device-readable storage medium.

[0099] The processing circuitry 3202 may be configured to communicate with an access network or other network using the communication interface 3212. The communication interface 3212 may comprise one or more communication subsystems and may include or be communicatively coupled to an antenna 3222. The communication interface 3212 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 3218 and / or a receiver 3220 appropriate to provide network communications (e.g., optical, electrical, frequency allocations, and so forth). Moreover, the transmitter 3218 and receiver 3220 may be coupled to one or more antennas (e.g., antenna 3222) and may share circuit components, software or firmware, or alternatively be implemented separately. [000100] In the illustrated embodiment, communication functions of the communication interface 3212 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. [000101] Regardless of the type of sensor, a UE may provide an output of data captured by its sensors, through its communication interface 3212, 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). [000102] 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 viaa 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. [000103] A UE, when in the form of an Internet of Things (IoT) 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 IoT 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 head-mounted display for Augmented Reality (AR) or Virtual Reality (VR), 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 IoT device comprises circuitry and / or software in dependence of the intended application of the IoT device in addition to other components as described in relation to the UE 3200 shown in Figure 19. [000104] As yet another specific example, in an IoT 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. [000105] 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 functionalitiesdescribed 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. [000106] Figure 20 shows a network node 3300 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)). [000107] 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 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). [000108] 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 such as 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). [000109] The network node 3300 includes a processing circuitry 3302, a memory 3304, a communication interface 3306, and a power source 3308. The network node 3300 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 3300 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 1300 may be configured to support multiple radio access technologies (RATs). In such embodiments, somecomponents may be duplicated (e.g., separate memory 3304 for different RATs) and some components may be reused (e.g., a same antenna 3310 may be shared by different RATs). The network node 3300 may also include multiple sets of the various illustrated components for different wireless technologies integrated into network node 1300, 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 1300. [000110] The processing circuitry 3302 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 3300 components, such as the memory 3304, to provide network node 3300 functionality. [000111] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 3302 includes a system on a chip (SOC). In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 3302 includes one or more of radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 3312 and baseband processing circuitry 3314. In some embodiments, the radio frequency (RF) transceiver circuitry 3312 and the baseband processing circuitry 3314 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 3312 and baseband processing circuitry 3314 may be on the same chip or set of chips, boards, or units. [000112] The memory 3304 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 3302. The memory 3304 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 3302 and utilized by the network node 3300. The memory 3304 may be used to store any calculations made by the processing circuitry 3302 and / or any data received via the communication interface 3306. In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 3302 and memory 3304 is integrated.[000113] The communication interface 3306 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 3306 comprises port(s) / terminal(s) 3316 to send and receive data, for example to and from a network over a wired connection. The communication interface 3306 also includes radio front-end circuitry 3318 that may be coupled to, or in certain embodiments a part of, the antenna 3310. Radio front-end circuitry 3318 comprises filters 3320 and amplifiers 3322. The radio front-end circuitry 3318 may be connected to an antenna 3310 and processing circuitry 3302. The radio front-end circuitry may be configured to condition signals communicated between antenna 3310 and processing circuitry 3302. The radio front-end circuitry 3318 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 3318 may convert the digital data into a radio signal having the appropriate channel and bandwidth parameters using a combination of filters 3320 and / or amplifiers 3322. The radio signal may then be transmitted via the antenna 3310. Similarly, when receiving data, the antenna 3310 may collect radio signals which are then converted into digital data by the radio front-end circuitry 3318. The digital data may be passed to the processing circuitry 3302. In other embodiments, the communication interface may comprise different components and / or different combinations of components. [000114] In certain alternative embodiments, the network node 3300 does not include separate radio front-end circuitry 3318, instead, the processing circuitry 3302 includes radio front- end circuitry and is connected to the antenna 3310. Similarly, in some embodiments, all or some of the RF transceiver circuitry 3312 is part of the communication interface 3306. In still other embodiments, the communication interface 3306 includes one or more ports or terminals 3316, the radio front-end circuitry 3318, and the RF transceiver circuitry 3312, as part of a radio unit (not shown), and the communication interface 3306 communicates with the baseband processing circuitry 3314, which is part of a digital unit (not shown). [000115] The antenna 3310 may include one or more antennas, or antenna arrays, configured to send and / or receive wireless signals. The antenna 3310 may be coupled to the radio front-end circuitry 3318 and may be any type of antenna capable of transmitting and receiving data and / or signals wirelessly. In certain embodiments, the antenna 3310 is separate from the network node 3300 and connectable to the network node 3300 through an interface or port. [000116] The antenna 3310, communication interface 3306, and / or the processing circuitry 3302 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 3310, the communication interface 3306, and / or the processing circuitry 3302 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. [000117] The power source 3308 provides power to the various components of network node 3300 in a form suitable for the respective components (e.g., at a voltage and current level needed for each respective component). The power source 3308 may further comprise, or be coupled to, power management circuitry to supply the components of the network node 3300 with power for performing the functionality described herein. For example, the network node 3300 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 3308. As a further example, the power source 3308 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. [000118] Embodiments of the network node 3300 may include additional components beyond those shown in Figure 20 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 3300 may include user interface equipment to allow input of information into the network node 3300 and to allow output of information from the network node 3300. This may allow a user to perform diagnostic, maintenance, repair, and other administrative functions for the network node 3300. [000119] Figure 21 is a block diagram of a host 4400, which may be an embodiment of the host 2116 of Figure 18, in accordance with various aspects described herein. As used herein, the host 4400 may be or comprise various combinations hardware and / or software, including a standalone server, a blade server, a cloud-implemented server, a distributed server, a virtual machine, container, or processing resources in a server farm. The host 4400 may provide one or more services to one or more UEs. [000120] The host 4400 includes processing circuitry 4402 that is operatively coupled via a bus 4404 to an input / output interface 4406, a network interface 4408, a power source 4410, and a memory 4412. Other components may be included in other embodiments. Features of these components may be substantially similar to those described with respect to the devices of previous figures, such as Figures 10 and 11, such that the descriptions thereof are generally applicable to the corresponding components of host 4400.[000121] The memory 4412 may include one or more computer programs including one or more host application programs 4414 and data 4416, which may include user data, e.g., data generated by a UE for the host 4400 or data generated by the host 4400 for a UE. Embodiments of the host 4400 may utilize only a subset or all of the components shown. The host application programs 4414 may be implemented in a container-based architecture and may provide support for video codecs (e.g., Versatile Video Coding (VVC), High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), Advanced Video Coding (AVC), MPEG, VP9) and audio codecs (e.g., FLAC, Advanced Audio Coding (AAC), MPEG, G.711), including transcoding for multiple different classes, types, or implementations of UEs (e.g., handsets, desktop computers, wearable display systems, heads-up display systems). The host application programs 4414 may also provide for user authentication and licensing checks and may periodically report health, routes, and content availability to a central node, such as a device in or on the edge of a core network. Accordingly, the host 4400 may select and / or indicate a different host for over-the-top services for a UE. The host application programs 4414 may support various protocols, such as the HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocol, Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (MPEG-DASH), etc. [000122] Figure 22 is a block diagram illustrating a virtualization environment 5500 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 5500 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. [000123] Applications 5502 (which may alternatively be called software instances, virtual appliances, network functions, virtual nodes, virtual network functions, etc.) are run in the virtualization environment 5500 to implement some of the features, functions, and / or benefits of some of the embodiments disclosed herein. [000124] Hardware 5504 includes processing circuitry, memory that stores software and / or instructions executable by hardware processing circuitry, and / or other hardware devices asdescribed 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 5506 (also referred to as hypervisors or virtual machine monitors (VMMs)), provide VMs 5508a and 5508b (one or more of which may be generally referred to as VMs 5508), and / or perform any of the functions, features and / or benefits described in relation with some embodiments described herein. The virtualization layer 5506 may present a virtual operating platform that appears like networking hardware to the VMs 5508. [000125] The VMs 5508 comprise virtual processing, virtual memory, virtual networking or interface and virtual storage, and may be run by a corresponding virtualization layer 5506. Different embodiments of the instance of a virtual appliance 5502 may be implemented on one or more of VMs 5508, 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 to consolidate 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. [000126] In the context of NFV, a VM 5508 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 5508, and that part of hardware 5504 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 5508 on top of the hardware 5504 and corresponds to the application 5502. [000127] Hardware 5504 may be implemented in a standalone network node with generic or specific components. Hardware 5504 may implement some functions via virtualization. Alternatively, hardware 5504 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 5510, which, among others, oversees lifecycle management of applications 5502. In some embodiments, hardware 5504 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 5512 which may alternatively be used for communication between hardware nodes and radio units.[000128] Figure 23 shows a communication diagram of a host 6602 communicating via a network node 6604 with a UE 6606 over a partially wireless connection in accordance with some embodiments. Example implementations, in accordance with various embodiments, of the UE (such as a UE 2112a of Figure 18 and / or UE 2200 of Figure 19), network node (such as network node 2110a of Figure 18 and / or network node 3300 of Figure 20), and host (such as host 2116 of Figure 18 and / or host 4400 of Figure 21) discussed in the preceding paragraphs will now be described with reference to Figure 23. [000129] Like host 4400, embodiments of host 6602 include hardware, such as a communication interface, processing circuitry, and memory. The host 6602 also includes software, which is stored in or accessible by the host 6602 and executable by the processing circuitry. The software includes a host application that may be operable to provide a service to a remote user, such as the UE 6606 connecting via an over-the-top (OTT) connection 6650 extending between the UE 6606 and host 6602. In providing the service to the remote user, a host application may provide user data which is transmitted using the OTT connection 6650. [000130] The network node 6604 includes hardware enabling it to communicate with the host 6602 and UE 6606. The connection 6660 may be direct or pass through a core network (like core network 2106 of Figure 18) and / or one or more other intermediate networks, such as one or more public, private, or hosted networks. For example, an intermediate network may be a backbone network or the Internet. [000131] The UE 6606 includes hardware and software, which is stored in or accessible by UE 6606 and executable by the UE’s processing circuitry. The software includes a client application, such as a web browser or operator-specific “app” that may be operable to provide a service to a human or non-human user via UE 6606 with the support of the host 6602. In the host 6602, an executing host application may communicate with the executing client application via the OTT connection 6650 terminating at the UE 6606 and host 6602. In providing the service to the user, the UE's client application may receive request data from the host's host application and provide user data in response to the request data. The OTT connection 6650 may transfer both the request data and the user data. The UE's client application may interact with the user to generate the user data that it provides to the host application through the OTT connection 6650. [000132] The OTT connection 6650 may extend via a connection 6660 between the host 6602 and the network node 6604 and via a wireless connection 6670 between the network node 6604 and the UE 6606 to provide the connection between the host 6602 and the UE 6606. The connection 6660 and wireless connection 6670, over which the OTT connection 6650 may beprovided, have been drawn abstractly to illustrate the communication between the host 6602 and the UE 1606 via the network node 6604, without explicit reference to any intermediary devices and the precise routing of messages via these devices. [000133] As an example of transmitting data via the OTT connection 6650, in step 6608, the host 6602 provides user data, which may be performed by executing a host application. In some embodiments, the user data is associated with a particular human user interacting with the UE 6606. In other embodiments, the user data is associated with a UE 6606 that shares data with the host 6602 without explicit human interaction. In step 6610, the host 6602 initiates a transmission carrying the user data towards the UE 6606. The host 6602 may initiate the transmission responsive to a request transmitted by the UE 6606. The request may be caused by human interaction with the UE 6606 or by operation of the client application executing on the UE 6606. The transmission may pass via the network node 6604, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. Accordingly, in step 6612, the network node 6604 transmits to the UE 6606 the user data that was carried in the transmission that the host 6602 initiated, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure. In step 6614, the UE 6606 receives the user data carried in the transmission, which may be performed by a client application executed on the UE 6606 associated with the host application executed by the host 6602. [000134] In some examples, the UE 6606 executes a client application which provides user data to the host 6602. The user data may be provided in reaction or response to the data received from the host 6602. Accordingly, in step 6616, the UE 6606 may provide user data, which may be performed by executing the client application. In providing the user data, the client application may further consider user input received from the user via an input / output interface of the UE 6606. Regardless of the specific manner in which the user data was provided, the UE 6606 initiates, in step 6618, transmission of the user data towards the host 6602 via the network node 6604. In step 6620, in accordance with the teachings of the embodiments described throughout this disclosure, the network node 6604 receives user data from the UE 6606 and initiates transmission of the received user data towards the host 6602. In step 6622, the host 6602 receives the user data carried in the transmission initiated by the UE 6606. [000135] One or more of the various embodiments improve the performance of OTT services provided to the UE 6606 using the OTT connection 6650, in which the wireless connection 6670 forms the last segment. More precisely, the teachings of these embodiments may improve the data rate, latency, and / or power consumption and thereby provide benefits such asreduced user waiting time, relaxed restriction on file size, improved content resolution, better responsiveness, and / or extended battery lifetime. [000136] In an example scenario, factory status information may be collected and analyzed by the host 6602. As another example, the host 6602 may process audio and video data which may have been retrieved from a UE for use in creating maps. As another example, the host 6602 may collect and analyze real-time data to assist in controlling vehicle congestion (e.g., controlling traffic lights). As another example, the host 6602 may store surveillance video uploaded by a UE. As another example, the host 6602 may store or control access to media content such as video, audio, VR or AR which it can broadcast, multicast or unicast to UEs. As other examples, the host 6602 may be used for energy pricing, remote control of non-time critical electrical load to balance power generation needs, location services, presentation services (such as compiling diagrams etc. from data collected from remote devices), or any other function of collecting, retrieving, storing, analyzing and / or transmitting data. [000137] In some examples, a measurement procedure may be provided for the purpose of monitoring data rate, latency and other factors on which the one or more embodiments improve. There may further be an optional network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection 6650 between the host 6602 and UE 6606, in response to variations in the measurement results. The measurement procedure and / or the network functionality for reconfiguring the OTT connection may be implemented in software and hardware of the host 6602 and / or UE 6606. In some embodiments, sensors (not shown) may be deployed in or in association with other devices through which the OTT connection 6650 passes; the sensors may participate in the measurement procedure by supplying values of the monitored quantities exemplified above, or supplying values of other physical quantities from which software may compute or estimate the monitored quantities. The reconfiguring of the OTT connection 6650 may include message format, retransmission settings, preferred routing etc.; the reconfiguring need not directly alter the operation of the network node 6604. Such procedures and functionalities may be known and practiced in the art. In certain embodiments, measurements may involve proprietary UE signaling that facilitates measurements of throughput, propagation times, latency and the like, by the host 6602. The measurements may be implemented in that software causes messages to be transmitted, in particular empty or ‘dummy’ messages, using the OTT connection 6650 while monitoring propagation times, errors, etc. [000138] Although the computing devices described herein (e.g., UEs, network nodes, hosts) may include the illustrated combination of hardware components, other embodiments may comprise computing devices with different combinations of components. It isto 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 partitioned between 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. [000139] 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. [000140] It will be appreciated that computer systems are increasingly taking a wide variety of forms. In this description and in the claims, the terms “controller,” “computer system,” or “computing system” are defined broadly as including any device or system—or combination thereof—that includes at least one physical and tangible processor and a physical and tangible memory capable of having thereon computer-executable instructions that may be executed by a processor. By way of example, not limitation, the term “computer system” or “computing system,” as used herein is intended to include personal computers, desktop computers, laptop computers,tablets, hand-held devices (e.g., mobile telephones, PDAs, pagers), microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, multi-processor systems, network PCs, distributed computing systems, datacenters, message processors, routers, switches, and even devices that conventionally have not been considered a computing system, such as wearables (e.g., glasses). [000141] The computing system also has thereon multiple structures often referred to as an “executable component.” For instance, the memory of a computing system can include an executable component. The term “executable component” is the name for a structure that is well understood to one of ordinary skill in the art in the field of computing as being a structure that can be software, hardware, or a combination thereof. For instance, when implemented in software, one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the structure of an executable component may include software objects, routines, methods, and so forth, that may be executed by one or more processors on the computing system, whether such an executable component exists in the heap of a computing system, or whether the executable component exists on computer-readable storage media. The structure of the executable component exists on a computer-readable medium in such a form that it is operable, when executed by one or more processors of the computing system, to cause the computing system to perform one or more functions, such as the functions and methods described herein. Such a structure may be computer-readable directly by a processor—as is the case if the executable component were binary. Alternatively, the structure may be structured to be interpretable and / or compiled—whether in a single stage or in multiple stages—so as to generate such binary that is directly interpretable by a processor. [000142] The terms “component,” “service,” “engine,” “module,” “control,” “generator,” or the like may also be used in this description. As used in this description and in this case, these terms—whether expressed with or without a modifying clause—are also intended to be synonymous with the term “executable component” and thus also have a structure that is well understood by those of ordinary skill in the art of computing. [000143] In terms of computer implementation, a computer is generally understood to comprise one or more processors or one or more controllers, and the terms computer, processor, and controller may be employed interchangeably. When provided by a computer, processor, or controller, the functions may be provided by a single dedicated computer or processor or controller, by a single shared computer or processor or controller, or by a plurality of individual computers or processors or controllers, some of which may be shared or distributed. Moreover, the term “processor” or “controller” also refers to other hardware capable of performing such functions and / or executing software, such as the example hardware recited above.[000144] In general, the various exemplary embodiments may be implemented in hardware or special purpose chips, circuits, software, logic, or any combination thereof. For example, some aspects may be implemented in hardware, while other aspects may be implemented in firmware or software which may be executed by a controller, microprocessor, or other computing device, although the disclosure is not limited thereto. While various aspects of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure may be illustrated and described as block diagrams, flow charts, or using some other pictorial representation, it is well understood that these blocks, apparatus, systems, techniques, or methods described herein may be implemented in, as non- limiting examples, hardware, software, firmware, special purpose circuits or logic, general purpose hardware or controller or other computing devices, or some combination thereof. [000145] While not all computing systems require a user interface, in some embodiments a computing system includes a user interface for use in communicating information from / to a user. The user interface may include output mechanisms as well as input mechanisms. The principles described herein are not limited to the precise output mechanisms or input mechanisms as such will depend on the nature of the device. However, output mechanisms might include, for instance, speakers, displays, tactile output, projections, holograms, and so forth. Examples of input mechanisms might include, for instance, microphones, touchscreens, projections, holograms, cameras, keyboards, stylus, mouse, or other pointer input, sensors of any type, and so forth. Abbreviations and Defined Terms [000146] To assist in understanding the scope and content of this written description and the appended claims, a select few terms are defined directly below. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains. [000147] The terms “approximately,” “about,” and “substantially,” as used herein, represent an amount or condition close to the specific stated amount or condition that still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result. For example, the terms “approximately,” “about,” and “substantially” may refer to an amount or condition that deviates by less than 10%, or by less than 5%, or by less than 1%, or by less than 0.1%, or by less than 0.01% from a specifically stated amount or condition. [000148] Various aspects of the present disclosure, including devices, systems, and methods may be illustrated with reference to one or more embodiments or implementations, which are exemplary in nature. As used herein, the term “exemplary” means “serving as an example,instance, or illustration,” and should not necessarily be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments disclosed herein. In addition, reference to an “implementation” of the present disclosure or embodiments includes a specific reference to one or more embodiments thereof, and vice versa, and is intended to provide illustrative examples without limiting the scope of the present disclosure, which is indicated by the appended claims rather than by the present description. [000149] As used in the specification, a word appearing in the singular encompasses its plural counterpart, and a word appearing in the plural encompasses its singular counterpart, unless implicitly or explicitly understood or stated otherwise. Thus, it will be noted that, as used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, reference to a singular referent (e.g., “a widget”) includes one, two, or more referents unless implicitly or explicitly understood or stated otherwise. Similarly, reference to a plurality of referents should be interpreted as comprising a single referent and / or a plurality of referents unless the content and / or context clearly dictate otherwise. For example, reference to referents in the plural form (e.g., “widgets”) does not necessarily require a plurality of such referents. Instead, it will be appreciated that independent of the inferred number of referents, one or more referents are contemplated herein unless stated otherwise. [000150] References in the specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," "an example embodiment," and the like indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but it is not necessary that every embodiment includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described. [000151] It shall be understood that although the terms "first" and "second" etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and similarly, a second element could be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of example embodiments. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed terms. [000152] It will be further understood that the terms "comprises", "comprising", "has", "having", "includes" and / or "including", when used herein, specify the presence of statedfeatures, elements, and / or components etc., but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components and / or combinations thereof. Conclusion [000153] The present disclosure includes any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein either explicitly or any generalization thereof. Various modifications and adaptations to the foregoing exemplary embodiments of this disclosure may become apparent to those skilled in the relevant arts in view of the foregoing description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, any and all modifications will still fall within the scope of the non-limiting and exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. [000154] It is understood that for any given component or embodiment described herein, any of the possible candidates or alternatives listed for that component may generally be used individually or in combination with one another, unless implicitly or explicitly understood or stated otherwise. Additionally, it will be understood that any list of such candidates or alternatives is merely illustrative, not limiting, unless implicitly or explicitly understood or stated otherwise. [000155] In addition, unless otherwise indicated, numbers expressing quantities, constituents, distances, or other measurements used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified by the term “about,” as that term is defined herein. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the specification and attached claims are approximations that may vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the subject matter presented herein. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter should at least be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of the subject matter presented herein are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as possible. Any numerical values, however, inherently contain certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements. [000156] Any headings and subheadings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. The terms and expressions which have been employed herein are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, it should beunderstood that although the present disclosure has been specifically disclosed in part by certain embodiments, and optional features, modification and variation of the concepts herein disclosed may be resorted to by those skilled in the art, and such modifications and variations are considered to be within the scope of this present description. [000157] It will also be appreciated that systems, devices, products, kits, methods, and / or processes, according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure may include, incorporate, or otherwise comprise properties or features (e.g., components, members, elements, parts, and / or portions) described in other embodiments disclosed and / or described herein. Accordingly, the various features of certain embodiments can be compatible with, combined with, included in, and / or incorporated into other embodiments of the present disclosure. Thus, disclosure of certain features relative to a specific embodiment of the present disclosure should not be construed as limiting application or inclusion of said features to the specific embodiment. Rather, it will be appreciated that other embodiments can also include said features, members, elements, parts, and / or portions without necessarily departing from the scope of the present disclosure. [000158] Moreover, unless a feature is described as requiring another feature in combination therewith, any feature herein may be combined with any other feature of a same or different embodiment disclosed herein. Furthermore, various well-known aspects of illustrative systems, methods, apparatus, and the like are not described herein in particular detail in order to avoid obscuring aspects of the example embodiments. Such aspects are, however, also contemplated herein. [000159] It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that methods, devices, device elements, materials, procedures, and techniques other than those specifically described herein can be applied to the practice of the described embodiments as broadly disclosed herein without resort to undue experimentation. All art-known functional equivalents of methods, devices, device elements, materials, procedures, and techniques specifically described herein are intended to be encompassed by this present disclosure. [000160] When a group of materials, compositions, components, or compounds is disclosed herein, it is understood that all individual members of those groups and all subgroups thereof are disclosed separately. When a Markush group or other grouping is used herein, all individual members of the group and all combinations and sub-combinations possible of the group are intended to be individually included in the disclosure. [000161] The above-described embodiments are examples only. Alterations, modifications, and variations may be effected to the particular embodiments by those of skill inthe art without departing from the scope of the description, which is defined solely by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A method (2300) performed by a user equipment, UE (2200), for performing one or more multi-slot transmission operations in subband full duplex, SBFD, operation, the method comprising: receiving (2310), from a network node (3300), an indication that multi-slot transmission is either: restricted to SBFD symbols only or non-SBFD symbols only; or transmitted across SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols in different slots; and according to the indication, performing (2320) the one or more multi-slot transmission operations, wherein the one or more multi-slot transmission operations comprise at least one of: receiving one or more physical downlink shared channel, PDSCH, transmissions, transmitting one or more physical uplink shared channel, PUSCH, transmissions, and transmitting one or more physical uplink control channel, PUCCH, transmissions, over multiple slots.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining in what type of symbols the one or more multi-slot transmission operations should be performed; determining a time domain resource assignment and rate-matching or puncturing scheme for each slot where the one or more multi-slot transmission operations is performed; and counting the one or more multi-slot transmission operations on the basis of consecutive slots or available slots as configured by the network.

3. The method of any of claims 1 to 2, wherein the one or more multi-slot transmission operations comprises at least one of: PDSCH repetition; SPS PDSCH; Multi-PDSCH; PUSCH repetition; CG PUSCH; Multi-PUSCH; PUSCH Transport Block over Multiple Slots, TBoMS; PUCCH repetition.

4. The method of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the indication comprises a Radio Resource Control, RRC, message that explicitly configures the one or more multi-slot transmission operations.

5. The method of any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the indication comprises a Radio Resource Control, RRC, message that explicitly configures a type of symbol for the one or more multi-slot transmission operations.

6. The method of any of claims 1 to 4, wherein whether the one or more PDSCH transmissions or one or more PUSCH transmissions or one or more PUCCH transmissions is transmitted in SBFD or non-SBFD symbols is based on a type of symbols in which a first valid transmission occurs, and wherein any one or more subsequent PDSCH transmissions or any one or more subsequent PUSCH transmissions or any one or more subsequent PUCCH transmissions in succeeding slots with symbol type other than the first valid transmission should be omitted.

7. The method of any of claims 1 to 6 wherein, when available slot counting is enabled, the one or more PDSCH transmissions or one or more PUSCH transmissions or one or more PUCCH transmissions are counted on a basis of one or more slots with legacy downlink / uplink, DL / UL, symbols or one or more slots with SBFD symbols, depending on what type of symbol a transmission occasion is associated with.

8. The method of any of claims 1 to 7, wherein, when an available slot counting mechanism is not enabled, then the one or more PDSCH transmissions or one or more PUSCH transmissions or one or more PUCCH transmissions are counted on a basis of consecutive slot.

9. The method of any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the one or more multi-slot transmission operations comprise PDSCH multi-slot transmissions and / or PUSCH multi-slot transmissions and / or PUCCH multi-slot transmission comprising SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols in multiple slots.

10. The method of any of claims 1 to 9, wherein multi-slot occasions for the PDSCH multi-slot transmissions and / or PUSCH multi-slot transmissions and / or PUCCH multi-slot transmission can be scheduled in one or more slots with downlink / uplink, DL / UL, symbols and one or more DL / UL subbands in one or more slots with SBFD symbols based on a time division duplex, TDD, configuration with SBFD enhancement.

11. The method of any of claims 1 to 10, wherein, when available slot counting is enabled, then PDSCH or PUSCH or PUCCH transmission occasions are counted by one or more slots with legacy DL / UL symbols and one or more slots with SBFD symbols wherever DL or UL resource are available for the transmission.

12. A method (2700) performed by a network node (3300) for performing one or more multi- slot transmissions in subband full duplex, SBFD, operation, the method comprising: transmitting (2710) to a user equipment, UE (2200), an indication that multi-slot transmission is either: restricted to SBFD symbols only or non-SBFD symbols only; or transmitted across SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols in different slots; and according to the indication, performing (2720) the one or more multi-slot transmission operations, wherein the one or more multi-slot transmission operations comprise at least one of: sending one or more physical downlink shared channel, PDSCH, transmissions, receiving one or more physical uplink shared channel, PUSCH, transmissions, and receiving one or more physical uplink control channel, PUCCH, transmissions, over multiple slots.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: sending one or more multi-slot transmissions to the UE or receiving one or more multi-slot transmissions from the UE, wherein the one or more multi-slot transmissions resulted from the process of: determining in what type of symbols the one or more multi-slot transmission operations should be performed; determining a time domain resource assignment and rate-matching or puncturing scheme for each slot where the one or more multi-slot transmission operations is performed; and counting the one or more multi-slot transmission operations on the basis of consecutive slots or available slots as configured to the UE.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining is defined via at least one of: Radio Resource Control, RRC, configuration; Medium Access Control Control Element, MAC CE; scheduling Downlink Control Information, DCI.

15. The method of any of claims 12 to 14, wherein the one or more PDSCH transmissions or one or more PUSCH transmissions or one or more PUCCH transmissions in a slot is rate-matched or punctured if some of one or more allocated Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex, OFDM, symbols are determined as not available for the transmission.

16. A user equipment, UE (3200), for performing one or more multi-slot transmission operations in subband full duplex, SBFD, operation, comprising: processing circuitry (3202) configured to perform any of the steps of any of claims 1 to 11; and power supply circuitry (3208) configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

17. A network node (3300) for performing one or more multi-slot transmission operations in subband full duplex, SBFD, operation, the network node comprising: processing circuitry (3302) configured to perform any of the steps of any of claims 12 to 15; power supply circuitry (3308) configured to supply power to the processing circuitry.

18. A user equipment, UE (3200), for performing one or more multi-slot transmission operations in subband full duplex, SBFD, operation, the UE comprising: an antenna (3222) configured to send and receive wireless signals; a communication interface (3212) connected to the antenna and to processing circuitry (3202), and configured to condition signals communicated between the antenna and the processing circuitry; the processing circuitry being configured to perform any of the steps of any of claims 1 to 13; an input interface (3206) connected to the processing circuitry and configured to allow input of information into the UE to be processed by the processing circuitry; an output interface (3206) connected to the processing circuitry and configured to output information from the UE that has been processed by the processing circuitry; and a battery (3208) connected to the processing circuitry and configured to supply power to the UE.

19. A user equipment, UE (3200), for performing one or more multi-slot transmission operationsin subband full duplex, SBFD, operation, comprising: processing circuitry (3202); and a memory (3210) storing instructions whereby the processing circuitry is operable to perform the steps of: receiving (2310), from a network node (3300), an indication that multi-slot transmission is either: restricted to SBFD symbols only or non-SBFD symbols only; or transmitted across SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols in different slots; and according to the indication, performing (2320) the one or more multi-slot transmission operations, wherein the one or more multi-slot transmission operations comprise at least one of; receiving one or more physical downlink shared channel, PDSCH, transmissions, transmitting one or more physical uplink shared channel, PUSCH, transmissions, and transmitting one or more physical uplink control channel, PUCCH, transmissions, over multiple slots.

20. A network node (3300) for performing one or more multi-slot transmission operations in subband full duplex, SBFD, operation, the network node comprising: processing circuitry (3302); and a memory (3304) storing instructions whereby the processing circuitry is operable to perform the steps of: transmitting (2710) to a user equipment, UE (2200), an indication that multi-slot transmission is either: restricted to SBFD symbols only or non-SBFD symbols only; or transmitted across SBFD symbols and non-SBFD symbols in different slots; and according to the indication, performing (2720) the one or more multi-slot transmission operations, wherein the one or more multi-slot transmission operations comprise at least one of: sending one or more physical downlink shared channel, PDSCH, transmissions, receiving one or more physical uplink shared channel, PUSCH, transmissions, andreceiving one or more physical uplink control channel, PUCCH, transmissions, over multiple slots.

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