Systems and methods of HARQ operation for receiving 5g broadcast transmission

Abstract

Embodiments herein disclose systems and methods of HARQ operations for receiving 5G broadcast transmission(s) in wireless communication networks. Embodiments herein disclose and systems for operating HARQ process or processes for reception of 5G broadcast channels. Embodiments herein disclose methods and systems for determining if a received 5G broadcast transmission is a new transmission or a retransmission. Embodiments herein disclose methods and systems for determining if HARQ feedback is to be indicated to the physical layer for 5G broadcast transmissions.

Description

SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF HARQ OPERATION FOR RECEIVING 5G BROADCAST TRANSMISSION

[0001] Embodiments disclosed herein relate to wireless communication networks, and more particularly to enhanced Hybrid Automatic Retransmission Request (HARQ) operations for receiving 5G Broadcast transmission.

[0002] 5G mobile communication technologies define broad frequency bands such that high transmission rates and new services are possible, and can be implemented not only in "Sub 6GHz" bands such as 3.5GHz, but also in "Above 6GHz" bands referred to as mmWave including 28GHz and 39GHz. In addition, it has been considered to implement 6G mobile communication technologies (referred to as Beyond 5G systems) in terahertz bands (for example, 95GHz to 3THz bands) in order to accomplish transmission rates fifty times faster than 5G mobile communication technologies and ultra-low latencies one-tenth of 5G mobile communication technologies.

[0003] At the beginning of the development of 5G mobile communication technologies, in order to support services and to satisfy performance requirements in connection with enhanced Mobile BroadBand (eMBB), Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC), and massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC), there has been ongoing standardization regarding beamforming and massive MIMO for mitigating radio-wave path loss and increasing radio-wave transmission distances in mmWave, supporting numerologies (for example, operating multiple subcarrier spacings) for efficiently utilizing mmWave resources and dynamic operation of slot formats, initial access technologies for supporting multi-beam transmission and broadbands, definition and operation of BWP (BandWidth Part), new channel coding methods such as a LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) code for large amount of data transmission and a polar code for highly reliable transmission of control information, L2 pre-processing, and network slicing for providing a dedicated network specialized to a specific service.

[0004] Currently, there are ongoing discussions regarding improvement and performance enhancement of initial 5G mobile communication technologies in view of services to be supported by 5G mobile communication technologies, and there has been physical layer standardization regarding technologies such as V2X (Vehicle-to-everything) for aiding driving determination by autonomous vehicles based on information regarding positions and states of vehicles transmitted by the vehicles and for enhancing user convenience, NR-U (New Radio Unlicensed) aimed at system operations conforming to various regulation-related requirements in unlicensed bands, NR UE Power Saving, Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) which is UE-satellite direct communication for providing coverage in an area in which communication with terrestrial networks is unavailable, and positioning.

[0005] Moreover, there has been ongoing standardization in air interface architecture / protocol regarding technologies such as Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) for supporting new services through interworking and convergence with other industries, IAB (Integrated Access and Backhaul) for providing a node for network service area expansion by supporting a wireless backhaul link and an access link in an integrated manner, mobility enhancement including conditional handover and DAPS (Dual Active Protocol Stack) handover, and two-step random access for simplifying random access procedures (2-step RACH for NR). There also has been ongoing standardization in system architecture / service regarding a 5G baseline architecture (for example, service based architecture or service based interface) for combining Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN) technologies, and Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) for receiving services based on UE positions.

[0006] As 5G mobile communication systems are commercialized, connected devices that have been exponentially increasing will be connected to communication networks, and it is accordingly expected that enhanced functions and performances of 5G mobile communication systems and integrated operations of connected devices will be necessary. To this end, new research is scheduled in connection with eXtended Reality (XR) for efficiently supporting AR (Augmented Reality), VR (Virtual Reality), MR (Mixed Reality) and the like, 5G performance improvement and complexity reduction by utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), AI service support, metaverse service support, and drone communication.

[0007] Furthermore, such development of 5G mobile communication systems will serve as a basis for developing not only new waveforms for providing coverage in terahertz bands of 6G mobile communication technologies, multi-antenna transmission technologies such as Full Dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas and large-scale antennas, metamaterial-based lenses and antennas for improving coverage of terahertz band signals, high-dimensional space multiplexing technology using OAM (Orbital Angular Momentum), and RIS (Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface), but also full-duplex technology for increasing frequency efficiency of 6G mobile communication technologies and improving system networks, AI-based communication technology for implementing system optimization by utilizing satellites and AI (Artificial Intelligence) from the design stage and internalizing end-to-end AI support functions, and next-generation distributed computing technology for implementing services at levels of complexity exceeding the limit of UE operation capability by utilizing ultra-high-performance communication and computing resources.

[0008] Fifth Generation (5G) broadcast (also referred to as Further Evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (FeMBMS), Receive-Only-Mode (ROM) or LTE based 5G terrestrial broadcast or LTE based 5G Broadcast) is targeted to provide downlink (DL)-only broadcast services to User Equipments (UEs) on a Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS)-dedicated cell with a large coverage area. One typical service use case is Enhanced Television (EnTV) broadcasting through wireless cellular networks. Further, the MBMS-dedicated cells do not support unicast traffic in the downlink and cannot be used as a Primary Cell (PCell) or a Primary Secondary Cell (PSCell). System information required to receive MBMS from MBMS-dedicated cells is broadcasted on non-Multicast-broadcast single-frequency network (non-MBSFN) sub-frames. The system information change notification and Earth-quake Tsunami Warning System (ETWS) / Commercial Mobile alert Service (CMAS) notifications are provided via L1 signalling on non-MBSFN sub-frames. The Physical Broadcast Channel (PBCH) of a MBMS-dedicated cell uses a different scrambling sequence initialization than the PBCH of MBMS / Unicast-mixed cell which prevents UEs not supporting FeMBMS from camping on this cell.

[0009] The Medium Access Control (MAC) entity (for example, in the UE) includes a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) entity for each serving cell, which maintains a number of parallel HARQ processes. Each HARQ process is associated with a HARQ process identifier. There are a number of parallel DL HARQ processes per HARQ entity. The dedicated broadcast HARQ process is used for Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH). The HARQ process supports one Transport Block (TB) when the physical layer is not configured for downlink spatial multiplexing. The HARQ process supports one or two TBs when the physical layer is configured for downlink spatial multiplexing.

[0010] However, it is not yet specified how the HARQ process needs to address the transmission and / or retransmission for 5G broadcast. In the legacy (i.e., previous releases of Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) specifications), there was no HARQ operation supported and specified for reception of 5G Broadcast transmission. However, due to lack of HARQ operations, reception of 5G broadcast transmission may not be highly reliable and robust. Therefore, an approach is needed to clearly specify the behaviour for reception of 5G broadcast transmission utilizing HARQ operation.

[0011] It is not yet specified or clear if and how HARQ process or processes and operation for 5G Broadcast control channel (for example, also referred to as MBMS Control Channel (MCCH)) and / or 5G Broadcast scheduling channel (for example, also referred to as MBMS Scheduling Information (MSI) or extended MSI (eMSI)) and / or 5G Broadcast traffic channels (for example, also referred to as a MBMS Traffic Channel, (MTCH)) be applied. Also, if HARQ operation is applied to 5G Broadcast MCCH and / or 5G Broadcast MSI / e-MSI and / or 5G Broadcast MTCH(s), it is not clear as how it is determined whether the received 5G Broadcast transmission is a new transmission or a retransmission. Further, it is not clear as how it is determined whether the MAC entity needs to indicate the HARQ feedback to the physical layer.

[0012] Hence, there is a need in the art for solutions which will overcome the above mentioned drawback(s), among others.

[0013]

[0014] It is not yet specified how the HARQ process needs to address the transmission and / or retransmission for 5G broadcast. In the legacy (i.e., previous releases of Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long Term Evolution (LTE) specifications), there was no HARQ operation supported and specified for reception of 5G Broadcast transmission. However, due to lack of HARQ operations, reception of 5G broadcast transmission may not be highly reliable and robust. Therefore, an approach is needed to clearly specify the behaviour for reception of 5G broadcast transmission utilizing HARQ operation.

[0015] It is not yet specified or clear if and how HARQ process or processes and operation for 5G Broadcast control channel (for example, also referred to as MBMS Control Channel (MCCH)) and / or 5G Broadcast scheduling channel (for example, also referred to as MBMS Scheduling Information (MSI) or extended MSI (eMSI)) and / or 5G Broadcast traffic channels (for example, also referred to as a MBMS Traffic Channel, (MTCH)) be applied. Also, if HARQ operation is applied to 5G Broadcast MCCH and / or 5G Broadcast MSI / e-MSI and / or 5G Broadcast MTCH(s), it is not clear as how it is determined whether the received 5G Broadcast transmission is a new transmission or a retransmission. Further, it is not clear as how it is determined whether the MAC entity needs to indicate the HARQ feedback to the physical layer.

[0016]

[0017] Embodiments herein disclose systems and methods of HARQ operations for receiving 5G broadcast transmission(s) in wireless communication networks. Embodiments herein disclose and systems for operating HARQ process or processes for reception of 5G broadcast channels. Embodiments herein disclose methods and systems for determining if a received 5G broadcast transmission is a new transmission or a retransmission. Embodiments herein disclose methods and systems for determining if HARQ feedback is to be indicated to the physical layer for 5G broadcast transmissions.

[0018]

[0019] Embodiments herein disclose systems and methods of HARQ operations for receiving 5G broadcast transmission(s) in wireless communication networks. Embodiments herein disclose and systems for operating HARQ process or processes for reception of 5G broadcast channels. Embodiments herein disclose methods and systems for determining if a received 5G broadcast transmission is a new transmission or a retransmission. Embodiments herein disclose methods and systems for determining if HARQ feedback is to be indicated to the physical layer for 5G broadcast transmissions.

[0020]

[0021] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a terminal or user equipment (UE), according to embodiments as disclosed herein;

[0022] FIG. 2 depicts the HARQ process operation for receiving 5G Broadcast transmission and determining a new transmission and a retransmission, according to embodiments as disclosed herein;

[0023] FIG. 3 depicts the HARQ process operation for receiving 5G Broadcast transmission and determining about HARQ feedback indication, according to embodiments as disclosed herein;

[0024] FIG. 4 is a flowchart depicting the process of Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) process operation for receiving time-interleaved LTE-based 5G Broadcast transmissions, according to embodiments as disclosed herein; and

[0025] FIG. 5 is a flowchart depicting the process of managing reception of time-interleaved MCH and determination of HARQ feedback indication to the physical layer for HARQ process associated with a transmission indicated with a M-RNTI for time-interleaved MCH, according to embodiments as disclosed herein.

[0026] The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.

[0027] For the purposes of interpreting this specification, the definitions (as defined herein) will apply and whenever appropriate the terms used in singular will also include the plural and vice versa. It is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purposes of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. The terms "comprising", "having" and "including" are to be construed as open-ended terms unless otherwise noted.

[0028] The words / phrases "exemplary", "example", "illustration", "in an instance", "and the like", "and so on", "etc.", "etcetera", "e.g.," , "i.e.," are merely used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein using the words / phrases "exemplary", "example", "illustration", "in an instance", "and the like", "and so on", "etc.", "etcetera", "e.g.," , "i.e.," is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.

[0029] Embodiments herein may be described and illustrated in terms of blocks which carry out a described function or functions.　These blocks, which may be referred to herein as managers, units, modules, hardware components or the like, are physically implemented by analog and / or digital circuits such as logic gates, integrated circuits, microprocessors, microcontrollers, memory circuits, passive electronic components, active electronic components, optical components, hardwired circuits and the like, and may optionally be driven by a firmware. The circuits may, for example, be embodied in one or more semiconductor chips, or on substrate supports such as printed circuit boards and the like.　The circuits constituting a block may be implemented by dedicated hardware, or by a processor (e.g., one or more programmed microprocessors and associated circuitry), or by a combination of dedicated hardware to perform some functions of the block and a processor to perform other functions of the block.　Each block of the embodiments may be physically separated into two or more interacting and discrete blocks without departing from the scope of the disclosure.　Likewise, the blocks of the embodiments may be physically combined into more complex blocks without departing from the scope of the disclosure.

[0030] It should be noted that elements in the drawings are illustrated for the purposes of this description and ease of understanding and may not have necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the flowcharts / sequence diagrams illustrate the method in terms of the steps required for understanding of aspects of the embodiments as disclosed herein. Furthermore, in terms of the construction of the device, one or more components of the device may have been represented in the drawings by conventional symbols, and the drawings may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the present embodiments so as not to obscure the drawings with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein. Furthermore, in terms of the system, one or more components / modules which comprise the system may have been represented in the drawings by conventional symbols, and the drawings may show only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the present embodiments so as not to obscure the drawings with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

[0031] The accompanying drawings are used to help easily understand various technical features and it should be understood that the embodiments presented herein are not limited by the accompanying drawings. As such, the present disclosure should be construed to extend to any modifications, equivalents, and substitutes in addition to those which are particularly set out in the accompanying drawings and the corresponding description. Usage of words such as first, second, third etc., to describe components / elements / steps is for the purposes of this description and should not be construed as sequential ordering / placement / occurrence unless specified otherwise.

[0032] In describing the embodiments, descriptions related to technical contents well-known in the art and not associated directly with the disclosure will be omitted. Such an omission of unnecessary descriptions is intended to prevent obscuring of the main idea of the disclosure and more clearly transfer the main idea.

[0033] For the same reason, in the accompanying drawings, some elements may be exaggerated, omitted, or schematically illustrated. Further, the size of each element does not completely reflect the actual size. In the drawings, identical or corresponding elements are provided with identical reference numerals or different reference numerals.

[0034] The advantages and features of the disclosure and ways to achieve them will be apparent by making reference to embodiments as described below in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the disclosure is not limited to the embodiments set forth below but may be implemented in various different forms. The following embodiments are provided only to completely disclose the disclosure and inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the disclosure, and the disclosure is defined only by the scope of the appended claims. Throughout the specification, the same or like reference numerals designate the same or like elements. Furthermore, in describing the disclosure, a detailed description of known functions or constitution incorporated herein will be omitted in the case that it is determined that the description may make the subject matter of the disclosure unnecessarily unclear. The terms which will be described below are terms defined in consideration of the functions in the disclosure, and may be different according to users, intentions of the operators, or customs. Therefore, the definitions of the terms should be made based on the contents throughout the specification.

[0035] Herein, it will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations, may be performed based on computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be loaded individually or collectively onto at least one processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which perform through any one of, or in any combination of, the at least one processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for performing the functions specified in the flowchart block(s). These computer program instructions may also be stored in a non-transitory computer usable or computer-readable memory that may direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer usable or computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means that perform the function specified in the flowchart block(s). The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a computer executed process such that the instructions that perform on the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus provide steps for executing the functions specified in the flowchart block(s).

[0036] Further, each block may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which includes one or more executable instructions for executing the specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order. For example, two blocks (or functions) shown in succession may in fact be performed substantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be performed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved.

[0037] As used in embodiments of the disclosure, a "~unit / module" may refer to a software element or a hardware element, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which performs a predetermined function. However, the term including the word "~unit / module" does not always have a meaning limited to software or hardware. The "~unit / module" may be constructed either to be stored in an addressable storage medium or to execute one or more processors. Therefore, the "~unit / module" includes, for example, software elements, object-oriented software elements, components such as class elements and task elements, processes, functions, properties, procedures, sub-routines, segments of a program code, drivers, firmware, micro-codes, circuits, data, database, data structures, tables, arrays, and parameters. The components and functions provided by the "~unit / module" may be either combined into a smaller number of components and a "~unit / module," or divided into additional components and a "~unit / module." Moreover, the components and "~units / module" may be implemented to reproduce one or more central processing units (CPUs) within a device or a security multimedia card. Further, in the embodiments, the "unit / module" may include one or more processors.

[0038] The entirety of the one or more computer programs may be stored in a single memory device, or the one or more computer programs may be divided with different portions stored in different multiple memory devices.

[0039] Any of the functions or operations described herein can be processed by one processor or a combination of processors. The one processor or the combination of processors is circuitry performing processing and includes circuitry like an application processor (AP, e.g. a CPU), a communication processor (CP, e.g., a modem), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a neural processing unit (NPU) (e.g., an artificial intelligence (AI) chip), a Wi-Fi chip, a Bluetooth® chip, a global positioning system (GPS) chip, a near field communication (NFC) chip, connectivity chips, a sensor controller, a touch controller, a finger-print sensor controller, a display driver integrated circuit (IC), an audio CODEC chip, a universal serial bus (USB) controller, a camera controller, an image processing IC, microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital　signal processors, FPGA, ASIC, a microprocessor unit (MPU), a system on chip (SoC), an IC, or the like. The one processor or the combination of processors executes instructions that can be stored in a memory, such as the　operating system, in order to control the overall operation of the device.　Also, the one processor or the combination of processors is also capable of executing other processes and programs　resident in the memory, such as processes for the disclosure.

[0040] It will be appreciated that various embodiments of the disclosure according to the claims and description in the specification can be realized in the form of hardware, software or a combination of hardware and software.

[0041] Any such software may be stored in non-transitory computer readable storage media. The non-transitory computer readable storage media store one or more computer programs (software modules), the one or more computer programs include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to perform a method of the disclosure. Additionally, or alternatively, such software may be a computer program [product] comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device individually or collectively, cause the electronic device to perform a method of the disclosure.

[0042] Any such software may be stored in the form of volatile or non-volatile storage such as, for example, a storage device like read only memory (ROM), whether erasable or rewritable or not, or in the form of memory such as, for example, random access memory (RAM), memory chips, device or integrated circuits or on an optically or magnetically readable medium such as, for example, a compact disk (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), magnetic disk or magnetic tape or the like. It will be appreciated that the storage devices and storage media are various embodiments of non-transitory machine-readable storage that are suitable for storing a computer program or computer programs comprising instructions that, when executed, implement various embodiments of the disclosure. Accordingly, various embodiments of the present disclosure may provide a program comprising code for implementing apparatus or a method as claimed in any one of the claims of this specification and a non-transitory machine-readable storage storing such a program.

[0043] Hereinafter, the determination of priority between A and B in the present disclosure may refer to various actions such as selecting the one having a higher priority based on a predefined priority rule and performing an operation corresponding thereto or omitting or dropping an operation corresponding to the one having a lower priority.

[0044] Hereinafter, "A or B" as described in the present disclosure may be understood as "A and / or B," which may include A, or B, or both A and B.

[0045] In addition, "at least one of A, B, and C" as described in the present disclosure may be understood to include A, or B, or C, or any combination of A, B, and C.

[0046] In addition, "at least one of A, B, or C" as described in the present disclosure may be understood to include A, or B, or C, or any combination of A, B, and C.

[0047] Furthermore, "A / B" as described in the present disclosure may be understood as "A and / or B," which may include A, or B, or both A and B.

[0048] Furthermore, "A, B" as described in the present disclosure may be understood as "A and / or B," which may include A, or B, or both A and B.

[0049] Furthermore, "A and B" as described in the present disclosure may be understood as "A and / or B," which may include A, or B, or both A and B.

[0050] Furthermore, "if condition A and condition B are satisfied," as described in the present disclosure, may not be limited to a case where both condition A and condition B are satisfied, but may be understood to include a case where either condition A or condition B is individually satisfied, both condition A and condition B are satisfied, or one or more additional conditions are satisfied in combination.

[0051] Furthermore, throughout this disclosure, ordinal terms such as "first," "second," "third," etc., (and similar qualifiers) are used merely to distinguish between different instances, occurrences, configurations, messages, stages, elements or aspects of elements, operations, or information as described herein. Unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the use of such ordinal terms does not itself require that the elements, operations, or information distinguished by these terms be structurally different, numerically distinct, or substantively dissimilar. For example, a "first signal" and a "second signal" may refer to instances of the same signal transmitted at different times or containing the same core information despite minor variations, or they may refer to signals with different content or characteristics, depending on the specific context. Similarly, a "first value" and a "second value" may represent the same magnitude but measured or applied in different circumstances, or they may represent different magnitudes. The interpretation should be guided by the specific technical context, function, and relationship described in the relevant portion of the specification and claims.

[0052] Furthermore, the terms "first ~", "second ~", etc., as described in the present disclosure with respect to various elements (e.g., information, objects, operation, sequences, or the like), should not limit those elements. These terms may only be intended to distinguish one element from another and may not be intended to indicate a specific order. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and, similarly, a second element could be termed a first element.

[0053] Furthermore, even if "first ~" and "second ~" are described in the present disclosure, it may be understood that element(s) referred to by "first ~" and "second ~" may be the same or different. For example, in case of element(s) being information, first information and second information may both be the same information, and, in some cases, are separate and different information.

[0054] In addition, the terms "if ~" and "in case that ~" as used in the disclosure or claims may be interpreted to include the meanings of "when (or upon) ~," "in response to ~," "based on ~," or "according to ~," and may be used interchangeably with these expressions. In addition, expressions other than those exemplified herein may also be used, as long as they have substantially the same meaning and do not impair the technical features of the present disclosure. If a method step (e.g., transmit a signal) is performed according to the disclosure of the application in connection with one of the above terms (such as "in case that ~" or the like), it may be interpreted to include the meanings (disclosure) of a prior determination that a feature has a specific state "~" (e.g., a bit length is above X), and then perform the method step in response to said determination.

[0055] In addition, the term "not perform" as used in the present disclosure or claims may, in context, be understood to mean that the corresponding step is omitted or skipped. Such a term may be replaced with other terms having the same or substantially equivalent meaning.

[0056] In addition, "transmitting a message including A and B" as described in the present disclosure, may be understood as encompassing both (i) transmitting A and B in a single message, and (ii) transmitting A and B separately via multiple messages (e.g., transmitting a first message including A and a second message including B). This interpretation may also apply to messages that include two or more items (e.g., A, B, C), transmitted either together or separately.

[0057] In addition, "transmitting a message including A and transmitting a message including B" may also be interpreted as transmitting a message including A and B in a single message.

[0058] In the specific embodiments of the present disclosure described below, terms or components included in the disclosure may be expressed in singular or plural form depending on the specific embodiments presented. However, such singular or plural expressions are selected appropriately for convenience of description, and the present disclosure is not limited to a singular or plural number of components. A component expressed in the plural form may be implemented as a single component, and a component expressed in the singular form may be implemented as multiple components.

[0059] The drawings or flowcharts described below illustrate example methods that may be implemented according to the principles of the present disclosure, and various modifications may be made to the methods illustrated in the flowcharts of the present disclosure. For example, although illustrated as a series of steps, various steps in each drawing or flowchart may overlap, occur in parallel, occur in a different order, or be repeated. In other examples, any step may be omitted or replaced with another step.

[0060] The process of the flowchart may be performed by a device. One or more of the steps of the　flowchart can be implemented by one or more processors / computer programs executing　instructions to perform the noted functions.

[0061] The methods and apparatuses proposed in the embodiments of the present disclosure may be disclosed in connection with drawings disclosing flowcharts to illustrate example methods that may be implemented according to the principles of the present disclosure. Such flowcharts may contain different branches and / or sub-branches. It is understood that the principles of the present disclosure do not only contain the combination of all branches / sub-branches disclosed in the embodiment, but the present disclosure also contains at least one isolated branch / isolated sub-branch, in particular to a single branch / single sub-branch.

[0062] The methods and apparatuses proposed in the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to each embodiment individually but may also be applied in combination of all or some of the embodiments proposed in the disclosure. Therefore, the embodiments of the present disclosure may be modified and applied without significantly departing from the scope of the present disclosure, as would be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0063] In this case, even if certain wordings are described differently across embodiments, they may be used interchangeably or in substitution or in combination if their underlying concepts are equivalent. For example, for the same or equivalent concept, even if one embodiment uses the expression "A" and another embodiment uses the expression "B", such expressions may be understood interchangeably, in substitution, or in combination.

[0064] The terms used in the following description to refer to access nodes, network entities, messages, interfaces between network entities, various types of identification information, and the like, are provided merely for the convenience of explanation by way of example. Therefore, the present disclosure is not limited to the terms described below, and other terms having equivalent technical meanings may also be used. Such terms may also be interchangeable with terms defined in any 3rd generation partnership project　(3GPP) technical specifications (TS) or similar technical specifications, e.g., from ETSI, where appropriate.

[0065] Hereinafter, a base station (BS) is an entity that allocates resources to terminals, and may be at least one of a gNodeB, an eNodeB, a Node B, a wireless access unit, a BS controller, or a node on a network.

[0066] Furthermore, the base station of the present disclosure may include a split architecture comprising a central unit (CU) and a distributed unit (DU). In this structure, the CU is configured to process the higher layers of the control and user planes, while the DU is configured to process lower-layer radio resource functions. The embodiments of the present disclosure may be equally applicable to 5G base station architectures in which such CU and DU functional splits are implemented.

[0067] A terminal may include a UE, a mobile station (MS), a cellular phone, a smartphone, a computer, a tablet, a wearable device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, or any other device / system capable of performing communication functions.

[0068] In the disclosure, a downlink (DL) refers to a radio link through which a BS transmits a signal to a terminal, and an uplink (UL) refers to a radio link through which a terminal transmits a signal to a BS.

[0069] Furthermore, hereinafter, 4th generation (4G) (also referred to as Long Term Evolution, LTE), 5th generation (5G) mobile communication technologies (e.g., 5G new radio (NR)), 6th generation (6G) mobile communication technologies may be described by way of example, but the embodiments of the present disclosure may also be applied to other communication systems having similar technical backgrounds or channel types. For example, newly evolved mobile communication systems developed after 5G and 6G may be included. Furthermore, based on determinations by those skilled in the art, the embodiments of the present disclosure may also be applied to other communication systems (e.g., Wi-Fi systems) through some modifications without significantly departing from the scope of the present disclosure

[0070] In the following description, the terms physical channel and signal may be used interchangeably with data or control signal. For example, the term physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) refers to a physical channel through which data is transmitted, but the term PDSCH may also be used to refer to the data itself. That is, in the present disclosure, the expression "transmit a physical channel" may be interpreted as being equivalent to the expression "transmit data or a signal via a physical channel." In the following description, the terms physical multicast channel (PMCH) and multicast channel (MCH) may be used interchangeably, where PMCH is a physical channel and MCH is a transport channel, each of which carries MBMS data, at the physical layer and at the MAC layer respectively. In the following description, the time-Frequency Interleaving feature may also be used interchangeably with or applied as time interleaving feature.

[0071] Hereinafter, in the context of the present disclosure, higher layer signaling may refer to signaling corresponding to at least one or any combination of the following: master information block (MIB), system information block (SIB) or SIB M (M = 1, 2, ...), radio resource control (RRC), or medium access control (MAC) control element (CE), or a non-access stratum (NAS) signaling message, or an application layer message. The RRC signaling message may be referred to as Layer 3 (L3) signaling.

[0072] In addition, Layer 1 (L1) signaling may refer to signaling corresponding to at least one or any combination of signaling techniques using the at least one or any combination of the following physical layer channels or signaling: physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), downlink control information (DCI), user equipment (UE)-specific DCI, group-common DCI, common DCI, scheduling DCI (e.g., DCI used for scheduling downlink or uplink data), non-scheduling DCI (e.g., DCI not used for scheduling downlink or uplink data) physical uplink control channel (PUCCH), or uplink control information (UCI). The L1 signaling message may be referred to as a physical layer signaling.

[0073] For example, the physical layer signaling (i.e., L1 signaling) may include downlink control information (DCI). In addition, the higher layer signaling may include a medium access control (MAC) control message, a radio resource control (RRC) signaling message, a non-access stratum (NAS) signaling message, or an application layer message. The RRC signaling message may be referred to as L3 signaling. It should be noted, however, that the higher layer signaling is not limited to the aforementioned examples.

[0074] Hereinafter, the expression that information is configured by the BS, as used in the present disclosure or claims, may, in context, be understood to mean that the terminal receives the corresponding information from the BS via a physical layer signaling or a higher layer signaling. Such an expression may be replaced with other terms having the same or substantially equivalent meaning.

[0075] Hereinafter, the operational principle of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0076] The embodiments herein achieve systems and methods of Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) operation for receiving Fifth Generation (5G) broadcast transmission(s) in wireless communication networks. Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 through 5, where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures, there are shown embodiments.

[0077] Embodiments herein disclose systems and methods of HARQ operations for receiving 5G broadcast transmission(s) in wireless communication networks. Embodiments herein disclose and systems for operating HARQ process or processes for reception of 5G broadcast channels. Embodiments herein disclose methods and systems for determining if a received 5G broadcast transmission is a new transmission or a retransmission. Embodiments herein disclose methods and systems for determining if HARQ feedback is to be indicated to the physical layer for 5G broadcast transmissions.

[0078] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a terminal or user equipment (UE) 100. The terminal is an electronic device capable of wireless communication and having various form factors, examples of the terminal may include a UE, a mobile station (MS), a cellular phone, a smartphone, a computer, a tablet, a television, a connected car, a wearable device, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, or any other device / system capable of performing wireless communication with a base station (BS) and / or another terminal through a wireless channel.

[0079] Referring to FIG. 1, the UE 100 may include at least one transceiver (hereinafter, referred to as simply "transceiver") 101, at least one processor (hereinafter, referred to as simply "processor") 102, and at least one memory (hereinafter, referred to as simply "memory") 103. According to at least one or a combination of methods corresponding to the embodiments described in the present disclosure, the transceiver 101, the processor 102, and the memory 103 of the UE 100 may operate. However, components of the UE 100 are not limited to the example components illustrated in FIG. 1. In another embodiment, the UE 100 may further include additional components in addition to the above-mentioned components, or some components may be omitted. Further, in some embodiments, any combination of the transceiver 101, the processor 102, or the memory 103 may be integrated in the form of one component.

[0080] The transceiver 101 may be a communication circuit or communication circuitry that enables the UE 100 to perform wireless communication with a node or an entity of a network. For example, the transceiver 101 may enable the UE 100 to transmit or receive a signal to or from a BS through cellular communication, or to transmit or receive a signal to or from another UE through cellular communication. For example, the transceiver 101 may support at least one of various cellular communication technologies including 3rd generation (3G), 4th generation (4G), long term evolution (LTE), 5th generation (5G) NR, 6th generation (6G), and various cellular wireless communication technologies supported by the transceiver (101) may include all subsequent generations of evolved wireless communications.

[0081] According to an embodiment, the transceiver 101 may include various circuit structures used to transmit or receive signals to or from a BS through a wireless channel. The signals may include control information and data. For example, the transceiver 101 may include a radio frequency (RF) transmitter for up-converting and amplifying the frequency of a transmitted signal and an RF receiver for low-noise-amplifying a received signal and down-converting the frequency thereof. The transceiver 101 may output a signal received through a wireless channel to the processor 102 and may transmit, through a wireless channel, a signal output from the processor 102.

[0082] According to an embodiment, the UE 100 may include a plurality of transceivers. For example, in the case of supporting evolved-universal terrestrial radio access-new radio (E-UTRA-NR) dual connectivity (EN-DC), the UE 100 may include a first transceiver supporting the 4G LTE wireless communication and a second transceiver supporting the 5G NR wireless communication. According to another embodiment, in the case of supporting NR-dual connectivity (NR-DC), the UE 100 may include a plurality of transceivers supporting the 5G NR wireless communication. According to still another embodiment, in the case of supporting near field wireless communication, the UE 100 may separately include a transceiver supporting at least one standard in the group of wireless communication protocol standards as defined in the protocol standards for Bluetooth, wireless local area network (WLAN) network (including institute of electrical and electronics engineers (IEEE) 802.11-2016 standard or its amendments, e.g., 802.11ah, 802.11ad, 802.11ay, 802.11ax, 802.11az, 802.11ba, and 802.11be, without being limited thereto).

[0083] The processor 102 may control general operations of the UE 100 according to embodiments of the disclosure. The processor 102 may be implemented by one or more integrated circuit (or circuitry) (IC) chips and may execute various data processing operations. The processor 102 may include at least one electric circuit, and may execute instructions (or a program, codes, data, etc.) stored in the memory 103, individually, collectively or in any combination thereof. Further, the processor 102 may include a single-core processor or multi-core processor and may include a processor assembly including a plurality of processing circuits (circuitry) according to a specific implementation scheme.

[0084] The processor 102 may be electrically, operatively, and / or communicatively coupled to the transceiver 101 to control the transceiver 101.

[0085] The processor 102 may include at least one processor (or processing circuitry), and the at least one processor may perform the following operations individually, collectively or in any combination thereof. For example, the processor 102 may include a communication processor (CP) configured to control communication operations and an application processor (AP) configured to control execution of an upper layer (for example, an application layer). In a specific embodiment, at least a part of the processor 102 may be included in one chip and the other part of the processor 102 may be included in another chip. Otherwise, at least one processor may be included in another component, for example, the transceiver 101 or the memory 103.

[0086] The processor 102 may perform or control or cause an operation of the UE 100 for executing at least one or a combination of methods according to embodiments of the disclosure. For example, the processor 102 may control operations of the UE 100 for processing a downlink signal received from a BS or generating and transmitting an uplink signal to a BS. To this end, the processor 102 may execute a computer program, codes, or instructions stored in the memory 103, so as to control other components of the UE 100 to enable execution of various operations.

[0087] The memory 103 corresponds to a hardware storage device capable of temporarily or permanently storing information and may include one or more storage media. For example, the memory 103 may include a memory assembly including one or more storage media. For example, the one or more storage media may include permanent memory, such as a hard drive, flash memory, or read-only memory (ROM), semipermanent memory, such as random access memory (RAM), cache memory, or a combination thereof.

[0088] The memory 103 may be electrically, operatively, and / or communicatively coupled to the processor 102 and may be accessed by the processor 102.

[0089] The memory 103 may store a computer program, codes, or instructions executable by the processor 102. According to an embodiment, a computer program, codes, or instructions executable by the processor 102 may be either stored in a single memory device or separated and stored in a distributed manner in two or more memory devices. By executing the instructions stored in the memory 103, the processor 102 may perform various functions according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

[0090] According to an embodiment of the disclosure, operations of the UE 100 may be caused to be performed based on execution of instructions (or a computer program or codes) stored in the memory 103 by at least one processor (or processing circuitry) configured to execute the same individually, collectively, or in any combination thereof, based on processing circuitry that is not configured to execute instructions, and / or based on components of processing circuitry that is not configured to execute instructions.

[0091] Embodiments herein disclose the processor 102 of operating Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) process for receiving time-interleaved Long Term Evolution based Fifth Generation (5G) Broadcast (5G Broadcast) transmissions carrying Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS). The processor 102 can use the HARQ process only for reception of one or more 5G Broadcast Multicast Traffic Channels (MTCH(s)) in a time-interleaved Multicast Channel (MCH) and corresponding Multimedia Broadcast Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) subframes. The processor 102 skips to use the HARQ process for at least one of 5G Broadcast Multicast Control Channel (MCCH), 5G Broadcast MCH Scheduling Information (MSI), and 5G Broadcast extended-MSI in the MCH and corresponding Multimedia Broadcast Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) subframes. The processor 102 does not use the HARQ process for reception of 5G Broadcast MTCH(s) in the MCH for specific MBSFN subframes, when the MTCH(s) occur in same subframe where at least one of 5G Broadcast MCCH, 5G Broadcast MSI, and 5G Broadcast extended-MSI for the same MCH occurs. The processor 102 can skip to apply de-multiplexing to MTCH(s) corresponding to a time-interleaved Multicast Channel (MCH). The processor 102 can apply HARQ operation to MTCH(s) corresponding to the time-interleaved MCH reception.

[0092] The processor 102 can configure at least one parameter of a Retransmission Factor for 5G Broadcast transmission received through broadcast signalling. The processor 102 can utilise a same HARQ process for one of each transmission, and a redundancy version of a TB that is part of a same block of MBSFN subframes. The Retransmission Factor indicates number of Transport Blocks (TBs) and redundancy versions (RVs) within a block of Multimedia Broadcast Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) subframes. The at least one parameter of a Retransmission Factor for 5G Broadcast transmission can be for one of a specific Physical Multicast Channel (PMCH), and for all PMCHs. The processor 102 can configure at least one parameter of the Retransmission Factor for 5G Broadcast transmission through one of an existing system information block, a 5G Broadcast specific System Information Block (SIB), a 5G Broadcast Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Services (MBMS) control channel (MCCH), a MCH Scheduling Information (MSI) / extended-MSI (e-MSI), and a Downlink Control Information (DCI)). The MBSFN subframes in the block of MBSFN subframes are not consecutive MBSFN subframes, wherein MBSFN subframes that carries one of MCCH, MSI, and extended-MSI are excluded.

[0093] The processor 102 can consider a transmission to be a new transmission, if a HARQ process is associated with the transmission indicated with a Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) Radio Network Temporary Identifier (M-RNTI) for time-interleaved Multicast Channel (MCH) and the received transmission being a first received transmission for a Transport Block (TB) according to a 5G Broadcast Multicast Traffic Channel (MTCH) schedule indicated by one of MCH Scheduling Information (MSI), and extended-MSI (e-MSI). The processor 102 can further consider the transmission to be a retransmission, if the HARQ process is associated with the transmission indicated with the M-RNTI for time-interleaved MCH, and the received transmission is not the first received transmission for the TB according to the MTCH schedule indicated by one of MSI and extended-MSI (e-MSI). If the transmission is a retransmission and data for the TB has not yet been successfully decoded, the processor 102 can combine data in the received transmission with data currently in a soft buffer for the TB, and attempt to decode the combined data. The processor 102 can deliver at least one decoded Medium Access Control (MAC) Service Data Unit (SDU) to at least one upper layer, on successfully decoding data for the TB, wherein the HARQ process is associated with the transmission is indicated with the M-RNTI for time-interleaved MCH. The processor 102 can skip to indicate a generated positive or negative acknowledgement to a physical layer, if the HARQ process is associated with the transmission is indicated with the M-RNTI for time-interleaved MCH.

[0094] In an embodiment herein, the processor 102 can configure and / or assign and / or use HARQ process or processes for the reception of 5G Broadcast control channel reception (for example, termed as MBMS control channel, (MCCH)) and / or 5G Broadcast traffic channel (for example, termed as MBMS traffic channel (MTCH)) and / or 5G Broadcast scheduling channel (for example, termed as MBMS scheduling information (MSI) and extended MSI (e-MSI)) in the PMCH. MCCH, MSI, e-MSI and MTCH(s) may be provided by a physical MBMS channel (PMCH) which can be addressed by a specific identity, hereinafter termed as MBMS-Radio Network Temporary Identifier (M-RNTI).

[0095] In an embodiment herein, the processor 102 can configure and / or assign and / or use a HARQ process or processes only for the reception of 5G Broadcast MTCH(s) in the PMCH. That is, the processor 102 may not configure and / or assign and / or use HARQ process or processes for 5G Broadcast MCCH and / or 5G Broadcast MSI and / or 5G Broadcast extended MSI in the PMCH.

[0096] In an embodiment herein, the processor 102 may not configure and / or assign and / or use HARQ process or processes for the reception of 5G Broadcast MTCH(s) in the PMCH for the specific sub-frames, when the MTCH(s) occur in the same sub-frame where at least one of 5G Broadcast MCCH and / or 5G Broadcast MSI and / or 5G Broadcast extended MSI in the same PMCH also occurs. That is, the processor 102 may configure and / or assign and / or use HARQ process or processes for the reception of 5G Broadcast MTCH(s) in the PMCH for the specific sub-frames, wherein in the specific sub-frames none of 5G Broadcast MCCH and / or 5G Broadcast MSI and / or 5G Broadcast extended MSI in the same PMCH occurs.

[0097] In an embodiment herein, the processor 102 can configure and / or assign HARQ process or processes for 5G Broadcast through the broadcast signalling (for example, through one of an existing system information block (SIB) like SIB1 or SIBx, a 5G Broadcast specific SIB, a MCCH information message or a MSI message).

[0098] In an embodiment herein, the processor 102 can pre-configure and specify assignment of HARQ process or processes for reception of 5G Broadcast transmission in standards.

[0099] In an embodiment herein, the processor 102 can determine the assignment of HARQ process or processes for reception of 5G Broadcast transmission based on the UE implementation.

[0100] In an embodiment herein, the processor 102 can assign HARQ process or processes for 5G Broadcast transmission (i.e., addressed by M-RNTI) based on Downlink Control Information (DCI) as received on the Physical Control Channel (PDCCH) which is scheduling the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDSCH) for relevant PMCH.

[0101] In an embodiment herein, the processor 102 can configure at least one parameter of Retransmission Factor for 5G Broadcast transmission (i.e., for a specific PMCH or for all PMCHs) through the broadcast signalling (for example, through existing system information block like SIB1 or SIBx, or through 5G Broadcast specific SIB, or through MCCH, through MSI / e-MSI or through Downlink Control Information (DCI)). The Retransmission Factor indicates the number of Transport Blocks (TBs) and redundancy versions (RVs) within a block of MBSFN sub-frames. Operation by the HARQ entity can therefore utilize the same HARQ process or processes for each transmission (or redundancy version) of the TB that is part of the same block of MBSFN sub-frames. In an embodiment herein, the MBSFN sub-frames in the block may not be consecutive MBSFN sub-frames; i.e., MBSFN sub-frames that carries MCCH, MSI or e-MSI may be excluded.

[0102] For example, the Retransmission Factor can be configured as M x N, where M TBs are retransmitted with N RVs in M x N MBSFN sub-frames. M may be configured with a value which can be greater than or equal to 1. N may be configured with a value which can be greater than or equal to 1. In case, the field is absent it may be interpreted as M=1 and N=1 (i.e., 1 TB and 1 transmission) is being used.

[0103] In another embodiment herein, the processor 102 can configure or apply or use the Retransmission Factor for the PMCH transmission, when Time-Frequency Interleaving is configured or used or activated for a specific PMCH.

[0104] In another embodiment herein, the processor 102 can configure or apply or use the Retransmission Factor for the PMCH transmission when Time-Frequency Interleaving is configured or used or activated commonly for all PMCHs.

[0105] In another embodiment herein, the processor 102 may not configure or apply or use the Retransmission Factor for the PMCH transmission when Time-Frequency Interleaving is not configured or not used or not activated for a specific PMCH.

[0106] In another embodiment herein, the processor 102 may not configure or apply or use the Retransmission Factor for the PMCH transmission when Time-Frequency Interleaving is not configured or not used or not activated commonly for all PMCHs.

[0107] In another embodiment herein, the processor 102 may not configure or apply or use the Retransmission Factor for the PMCH transmission in the sub-frames wherein at least one of MCCH, MSI and extended-MSI occurs for the PMCH.

[0108] In another embodiment herein, the processor 102 can configure or apply or use the Retransmission Factor for the PMCH transmission in the sub-frames wherein none of MCCH, MSI and extended-MSI occurs for the PMCH.

[0109] In an embodiment herein, the processor 102 can perform blind retransmissions for 5G Broadcast in order to enhance the reliability of the reception.

[0110] In an embodiment herein, the processor 102 can perform repeated transmissions for 5G Broadcast in order to enhance the reliability of the reception.

[0111] In an embodiment herein, the processor 102 can configure the UE 100 with a parameter max-HARQProcess-5GB for a maximum number of HARQ processes for 5G Broadcast (for example, when the Time-Frequency Interleaving feature is supported and / or configured). In another embodiment herein, the parameter max-HARQProcess-5GB may be equal to the M (i.e., number of Transport Blocks in the block of MBSFN sub-frames for Time-Frequency Interleaving). In another embodiment herein, the parameter max-HARQProcess-5GB may be equal to the M+1.

[0112] In an embodiment herein, an example specification is provided for the downlink assignment for HARQ process for 5G Broadcast as follows:

[0113] Example 1:

[0114] The MAC entity shall:

[0115] - If a downlink assignment has been indicated for this TTI; or

[0116] - If this TTI is for a retransmission within a bundle:

[0117] - allocate the TB(s) received from the physical layer and the associated HARQ information to the HARQ process indicated by the associated HARQ information.

[0118] - If a downlink assignment has been indicated for the broadcast HARQ process:

[0119] - allocate the received TB to the broadcast HARQ process.

[0120] - If a downlink assignment has been indicated for the FeMBMS HARQ process or processes (i.e., time-Frequency Interleaving feature is configured for PMCH):

[0121] - allocate the received TB to the respective 5G Broadcast HARQ process or processes.

[0122] NOTE: In case of BCCH and BR-BCCH, a dedicated broadcast HARQ process is used.

[0123] In an embodiment herein, if the HARQ process is equal to the process for FeMBMS PMCH (or the HARQ process is associated / allocated / assigned for 5G Broadcast transmission) and the Time-Frequency Interleaving feature is configured for PMCH, and this is the first received transmission for the TB for the sub-frame according to the MTCH scheduling indicated by MSI or e-MSI, the HARQ process can consider the transmission a new transmission. Else, the HARQ process can consider the transmission as a retransmission.

[0124] In an embodiment herein, if the HARQ process is equal to the process for FeMBMS PMCH (i.e., 5G Broadcast transmission) and the Time-Frequency Interleaving feature is configured for PMCH, and this sub-frame is configured / scheduled to transmit MSI or e-MSI or MCCH for 5G Broadcast, then the HARQ process can consider the transmission as a new transmission. Further, there is no retransmission or repetition for this TB of the FeMBMS PMCH transmission.

[0125] FIG. 2 depicts the HARQ process operation for receiving 5G Broadcast transmission and determining a new transmission and a retransmission. In step 201, the HARQ process receives a TB and associated HARQ information. In step 202, the HARQ process checks if the HARQ process is equal to the process for FeMBMS PMCH (or the HARQ process is associated / allocated / assigned for 5G Broadcast transmission) and the Time-Frequency Interleaving feature is configured for PMCH, and this is the first received transmission for the TB for the sub-frame according to the MTCH scheduling indicated by MSI or e-MSI. If the HARQ process is equal to the process for FeMBMS PMCH (or the HARQ process is associated / allocated / assigned for 5G Broadcast transmission) and the Time-Frequency Interleaving feature is configured for PMCH, and this is the first received transmission for the TB for the sub-frame according to the MTCH scheduling indicated by MSI or e-MSI, in step 203, the HARQ process considers the transmission as a new transmission. In step 204, the HARQ process attempts to decode the received data.

[0126] If the HARQ process is not equal to the process for FeMBMS PMCH (or the HARQ process is not associated / allocated / assigned for 5G Broadcast transmission) or the Time-Frequency Interleaving feature is not configured for PMCH, or this is not the first received transmission for the TB for the sub-frame according to the MTCH scheduling indicated by MSI or e-MSI, in step 205, the HARQ process considers the transmission as a retransmission. If the data for this TB has not yet been successfully decoded, in the step 206, the HARQ process combines the received data with the data in the soft buffer for this TB and attempts to decode the combined data. The various actions in method 200 may be performed in the order presented, in a different order or simultaneously. Further, in some embodiments, some actions listed in FIG. 2 may be omitted.

[0127] In an embodiment herein, an example specification is provided for the determination of transmission or retransmission for TB for HARQ process for 5G Broadcast as follows:

[0128] Example 2:

[0129] For each Transmission Time Interval (TTI), where a transmission takes place for the HARQ process, one or two (in case of downlink spatial multiplexing) TBs and the associated HARQ information are received from the HARQ entity. For each received TB and associated HARQ information, the HARQ process shall:

[0130] - if the New Data Indicator (NDI), when provided, has been toggled compared to the value of the previous received transmission corresponding to this TB; or

[0131] - if the HARQ process is equal to the broadcast process and if this is the first received transmission for the TB according to the system information schedule indicated by RRC; or

[0132] 1> if the HARQ process is associated with a transmission indicated with a M-RNTI for FeMBMS PMCH and Time-Frequency Interleaving feature is configured for PMCH, and this is the first received transmission for the TB according to the MTCH schedule indicated by MSI or extended MSI; or

[0133] - if this is the very first received transmission for this TB (i.e., there is no previous NDI for this TB):

[0134] - consider this transmission to be a new transmission.

[0135] - else:

[0136] - consider this transmission to be a retransmission.

[0137] In an embodiment herein, the sequence of redundancy versions may be 0, 2, 3, 1 for the TBs in the block of MBSFN sub-frames. In an embodiment herein, the sequence of redundancy versions may be 0,1,2,3 for the TBs in the block of MBSFN sub-frames. For each received TB and associated HARQ information, if this is a new transmission, the FeMBMS HARQ process sets a current incremental redundancy version to 0 and stores the received data in the soft buffer and may attempt to decode the received data according to current incremental redundancy version. Else, if this is a retransmission, if the data for this TB has not yet been successfully decoded, the FeMBMS HARQ process increments the current increment redundancy version by 1, combines the received data with the data currently in the soft buffer for this TB and attempts to decode the combined data according to the current incremental redundancy version. Else, if the data which the MAC entity attempted to decode was successfully decoded for this TB, the FeMBMS HARQ process delivers the decoded MAC SDU(s) to the disassembly and demultiplexing entity.

[0138] In an embodiment herein, the MAC entity of the UE determines not to indicate HARQ feedback to the physical layer if the HARQ process is associated with a transmission indicated with a M-RNTI for FeMBMS PMCH and Time-Frequency Interleaving feature is configured and / or activated for PMCH.

[0139] FIG. 3 depicts the HARQ process operation for receiving 5G Broadcast transmission and determining about HARQ feedback indication. In step 301, the HARQ process checks if the data which the MAC entity attempted to decode has been successfully decoded for this TB. If the data which the MAC entity attempted to decode has been successfully decoded for this TB, in step 302, the HARQ process may generate a positive acknowledgement (ACK) of the data in this TB. If the data which the MAC entity attempted to decode has not been successfully decoded for this TB, in step 303, the HARQ process replaces the data in the soft buffer for this TB with the data for which the MAC entity attempted to decode and generates a negative acknowledgement (ACK) of the data in this TB.

[0140] In step 304, the HARQ process checks if the HARQ process is associated with a transmission indicated with a M-RNTI for FeMBMS PMCH (i.e., a 5G Broadcast) and the time-frequency interleaving feature is configured for PMCH. If the HARQ process is associated with a transmission indicated with a M-RNTI for FeMBMS PMCH (i.e., a 5G Broadcast) and the time-frequency interleaving feature is configured for PMCH, in step 305, the HARQ process skips to indicate the generated positive acknowledge or negative acknowledgement to the physical layer. If the HARQ process is not associated with a transmission indicated with a M-RNTI for FeMBMS PMCH (i.e., a 5G Broadcast) and the time-frequency interleaving feature is not configured for PMCH, in step 306, the HARQ process indicates the generated positive acknowledgement or negative acknowledgement to the physical layer. The various actions in method 300 may be performed in the order presented, in a different order or simultaneously. Further, in some embodiments, some actions listed in FIG. 3 may be omitted.

[0141] In an embodiment herein, an example specification is provided for the determination of feedback generation or not for HARQ process as follows:

[0142] Example 3:

[0143] The MAC entity then shall:

[0144] - if this is a new transmission:

[0145] - attempt to decode the received data.

[0146] - else if this is a retransmission:

[0147] - if the data for this TB has not yet been successfully decoded:

[0148] - combine the received data with the data currently in the soft buffer for this TB and attempt to decode the combined data.

[0149] - if the data which the MAC entity attempted to decode was successfully decoded for this TB; or

[0150] - if the data for this TB was successfully decoded before:

[0151] - if the HARQ process is equal to the broadcast process:

[0152] - deliver the decoded MAC PDU to upper layers.

[0153] - else if this is the first successful decoding of the data for this TB:

[0154] - deliver the decoded MAC PDU to the disassembly and demultiplexing entity.

[0155] - generate a positive acknowledgement (ACK) of the data in this TB.

[0156] - else:

[0157] - replace the data in the soft buffer for this TB with the data which the MAC entity attempted to decode.

[0158] - generate a negative acknowledgement (NACK) of the data in this TB.

[0159] - if the HARQ process is associated with a transmission indicated with a Temporary C-RNTI and the Contention Resolution is not yet successful (see clause 5.1.5); or

[0160] - if the HARQ process is equal to the broadcast process; or

[0161] - if the HARQ process is not associated with a transmission indicated with a PUR-RNTI and the timeAlignmentTimer, associated with the TAG containing the serving cell on which the HARQ feedback is to be transmitted, is stopped or expired; or

[0162] - If the HARQ process is associated with a transmission indicated with a M-RNTI for the FeMBMS PMCH (i.e.,5G Broadcast) and time-Frequency Interleaving feature is configured for PMCH; or if the HARQ feedback is disabled for the corresponding HARQ process:

[0163] - if harq-FeedbackEnablingforSPSactive is configured and the transmission is the first SPS PDSCH transmission after SPS activation:

[0164] - indicate the generated positive or negative acknowledgement for this TB to the physical layer.

[0165] - else:

[0166] - do not indicate the generated positive or negative acknowledgement to the physical layer.

[0167] - else:

[0168] - indicate the generated positive or negative acknowledgement for this TB to the physical layer.

[0169] The MAC entity shall ignore NDIs received in all downlink assignments on PDCCH for its Temporary C-RNTI when determining if NDI on PDCCH for its C-RNTI has been toggled compared to the value in the previous transmission.

[0170] NOTE 1: When the MAC entity is configured with more than one serving cell, UE behaviors for storing data to the soft buffer is specified in TS　36.213.

[0171] NOTE 2: If the MAC entity receives a retransmission with a TB size different from the last valid TB size signalled for this TB, the UE behavior is left up to UE implementation.

[0172] In an embodiment herein, if the data which the MAC entity attempted to decode was successfully decoded for this TB or if the data for this TB was successfully decoded before and if the HARQ process is associated with a transmission indicated with a M-RNTI for the FeMBMS PMCH (i.e.,5G Broadcast), the MAC entity can deliver the at least one decoded MAC PDU / SDU to upper layers (for example, the RLC layer).

[0173] In an embodiment herein, if the data which the MAC entity attempted to decode was successfully decoded for this TB or if the data for this TB was successfully decoded before and if the HARQ process is associated with a transmission indicated with a M-RNTI for the FeMBMS PMCH (i.e.,5G Broadcast), the MAC entity delivers the at least one decoded MAC PDU / SDU to a disassembly and demultiplexing entity.

[0174] In an embodiment herein, if the data which the MAC entity attempted to decode was successfully decoded for this TB or if the data for this TB was successfully decoded before and if the HARQ process is associated with a transmission indicated with a M-RNTI for the FeMBMS PMCH (i.e., 5G Broadcast) and time-Frequency Interleaving feature is configured for PMCH, the MAC entity delivers the at least one decoded MAC PDU / SDU to the upper layers (for example, the RLC layer).

[0175] In an embodiment herein, if the data which the MAC entity attempted to decode was successfully decoded for this TB or if the data for this TB was successfully decoded before and if the HARQ process is associated with a transmission indicated with a M-RNTI for the FeMBMS PMCH (i.e., 5G Broadcast) and time-Frequency Interleaving feature is configured for PMCH, the MAC entity delivers the at least one decoded MAC PDU / SDU to the disassembly and demultiplexing entity.

[0176] In an embodiment herein, an example specification is provided for the determination of HARQ feedback indication to the physical layer for HARQ process as follows:

[0177] Example 4:

[0178] The MAC entity then shall:

[0179] - if this is a new transmission:

[0180] - attempt to decode the received data.

[0181] - else if this is a retransmission:

[0182] - if the data for this TB has not yet been successfully decoded:

[0183] - combine the received data with the data currently in the soft buffer for this TB and attempt to decode the combined data.

[0184] - if the data which the MAC entity attempted to decode was successfully decoded for this TB; or

[0185] - if the data for this TB was successfully decoded before:

[0186] - if the HARQ process is equal to the broadcast process:

[0187] - deliver the decoded MAC PDU to upper layers.

[0188] - else if this is the first successful decoding of the data for this TB:

[0189] - deliver the decoded MAC PDU to the disassembly and demultiplexing entity.

[0190] - generate a positive acknowledgement (ACK) of the data in this TB.

[0191] - else:

[0192] - replace the data in the soft buffer for this TB with the data which the MAC entity attempted to decode.

[0193] - generate a negative acknowledgement (NACK) of the data in this TB.

[0194] - if the HARQ process is associated with a transmission indicated with a Temporary C-RNTI and the Contention Resolution is not yet successful (see clause 5.1.5); or

[0195] - if the HARQ process is equal to the broadcast process; or

[0196] - if the HARQ process is not associated with a transmission indicated with a PUR-RNTI and the timeAlignmentTimer, associated with the TAG containing the serving cell on which the HARQ feedback is to be transmitted, is stopped or expired; or

[0197] - If the HARQ process is associated with a transmission indicated with a M-RNTI for the FeMBMS PMCH (i.e., 5G Broadcast) and time-Frequency Interleaving feature is configured for PMCH:

[0198] - do not indicate the generated positive or negative acknowledgement to the physical layer.

[0199] - else if the HARQ feedback is disabled for the corresponding HARQ process:

[0200] - if harq-FeedbackEnablingforSPSactive is configured and the transmission is the first SPS PDSCH transmission after SPS activation:

[0201] - indicate the generated positive or negative acknowledgement for this TB to the physical layer.

[0202] - else:

[0203] - do not indicate the generated positive or negative acknowledgement to the physical layer.

[0204] - else:

[0205] - indicate the generated positive or negative acknowledgement for this TB to the physical layer.

[0206] The MAC entity shall ignore NDI(s) received in all downlink assignments on PDCCH for its Temporary C-RNTI when determining if NDI on PDCCH for its C-RNTI has been toggled compared to the value in the previous transmission.

[0207] NOTE 1: When the MAC entity is configured with more than one serving cell, UE behaviors for storing data to the soft buffer is specified in TS　36.213.

[0208] NOTE 2: If the MAC entity receives a retransmission with a TB size different from the last valid TB size signalled for this TB, the UE behavior is left up to UE implementation.

[0209] FIG. 4 is a flowchart depicting the process of Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) process operation for receiving time-interleaved LTE-based 5G Broadcast transmissions. In step 401, the HARQ process receives a TB and associated HARQ information. In step 402, the UE 100 checks if a HARQ process is associated with the transmission indicated with a M-RNTI for time-interleaved MCH and the received transmission being a first received transmission for a TB according to a MTCH schedule indicated by one of MSI, and e-MSI. If the HARQ process is associated with the transmission indicated with a M-RNTI for time-interleaved MCH and the received transmission being a first received transmission for a TB according to a MTCH schedule indicated by one of MSI, and e-MSI, in steps 403 and 404, the UE 100 considers a transmission to be a new transmission and attempts to decode the transmission.

[0210] If the HARQ process is associated with the transmission indicated with the M-RNTI for time-interleaved MCH and the received transmission is not the first received transmission for the TB according to the MTCH schedule indicated by one of MSI, and e-MSI, in step 404, the UE 100 considers the transmission to be a retransmission. In step 405, the UE 100 further checks if data for the TB has not yet been successfully decoded. If data for the TB has not yet been successfully decoded, in steps 406 and 407, the UE 100 combines data in the received transmission with data currently in a soft buffer for the TB, based on the determination; and attempts to decode the combined data. In an embodiment herein, the UE 100 delivers at least one decoded MAC SDU to at least one upper layer, on successfully decoding data for the TB, wherein the HARQ process is associated with the transmission indicated with the M-RNTI for time-interleaved MCH. In an embodiment herein, the UE 100 does not indicate a positive or negative acknowledgement to a physical layer, if the HARQ process is associated with the transmission indicated with the M-RNTI for time-interleaved MCH. The various actions in method 400 may be performed in the order presented, in a different order or simultaneously. Further, in some embodiments, some actions listed in FIG. 4 may be omitted.

[0211] In an embodiment, herein, an example specification is provided for the reception of time-interleaved MCH and determination of HARQ feedback indication to the physical layer for HARQ process associated with a transmission indicated with a M-RNTI for time-interleaved MCH as follows:

[0212] Example 5:

[0213] When the MAC entity needs to receive MCH, the MAC entity shall:

[0214] - if the HARQ process is associated with a transmission indicated with a M-RNTI for time-interleaved MCH:

[0215] - if this transmission is received for the TB according to the MTCH schedule indicated by MSI and data for this TB has not yet been successfully decoded:

[0216] - combine the received data with the data currently in soft buffer for this TB, if any, and attempt to decode the data.

[0217] - if the data which the MAC entity attempted to decode was successfully decoded for this TB:

[0218] - deliver the MAC SDU(s) to upper layers.

[0219] - do not indicate the positive or negative acknowledgement to the physical layer.

[0220] FIG. 5 is a flowchart depicting the process of managing reception of time-interleaved MCH and determination of HARQ feedback indication to the physical layer for HARQ process associated with a transmission indicated with a M-RNTI for time-interleaved MCH. In step 501, consider that the MAC entity needs to receive MCH. In step 502, the MAC entity checks if the HARQ process is associated with a transmission indicated with a M-RNTI for time-interleaved MCH. If the HARQ process is associated with a transmission indicated with a M-RNTI for time-interleaved MCH, in step 503, the MAC entity combines the received data with the data currently in the soft buffer for this TB, if any, and attempts to decode the data, if this transmission is received for the TB according to the MTCH schedule indicated by MSI and data for this TB has not yet been successfully decoded. In step 504, the MAC entity delivers the MAC SDU(s) to upper layers, if the data which the MAC entity attempted to decode was successfully decoded for this TB. In step 505, the MAC entity does not indicate the positive or negative acknowledgement to the physical layer. The various actions in method 500 may be performed in the order presented, in a different order or simultaneously. Further, in some embodiments, some actions listed in FIG. 5 may be omitted.

[0221] In an embodiment herein, at least one HARQ process is reset and the associated HARQ buffer is cleared at the beginning of a block of MBSFN sub-frames utilized for the Time-Frequency interleaving for FeMBMS PMCH of 5G Broadcast.

[0222] In an embodiment herein, when the MAC entity needs to read MTCH on MBSFN sub-frame and Time-Frequency Interleaving feature is configured for the PMCH, the MAC entity indicates a downlink assignment and redundancy version for the 5G Broadcast HARQ process to the HARQ entity. An example of the specification is proposed as follows:

[0223] Example 6:

[0224] When the MAC entity needs to read MTCH on MBSFN sub-frame and Time-Frequency Interleaving feature is configured for the PMCH, the MAC entity may, based on the PMCH scheduling information from MSI or extended MSI:

[0225] 1> indicate a downlink assignment and redundancy version for the 5G Broadcast HARQ process to the HARQ entity.

[0226] In an embodiment herein, when multiple SI messages are transmitted in the same sub-frame for MBMS dedicated carrier by using different RNTIs (for example, different values for the SI-RNTI), the SI messages pertaining to the transmission for different RNTIs may be received utilizing different HARQ processes. For example, when SI messages are received with RNTI value "FFF9" and RNTI value "FFFF", then two different HARQ processes may be used.

[0227] In an embodiment herein, when multiple SI messages are transmitted in the same sub-frame for MBMS dedicated carrier by using different RNTIs (for example, different values for the SI-RNTI), the SI messages pertaining to the transmission for different RNTIs may be received utilizing different buffers of the same HARQ process. For example, when SI messages are received with RNTI value "FFF9" and RNTI value "FFFF", then two buffers of the same HARQ process may be used.

[0228] In an embodiment herein, for the FeMBMS-Unicast mixed cell deployment, dedicated HARQ process or processes are configured or assigned or used for FeMBMS PMCH transmission, when Time-Frequency Interleaving feature is configured for the PMCH. That is, HARQ process or processes are not shared between FeMBMS and unicast.

[0229] In an embodiment herein, for the FeMBMS-Unicast mixed cell deployment, HARQ process or processes may be shared between unicast and FeMBMS PMCH transmission, when Time-Frequency Interleaving feature is configured for the PMCH.

[0230] In an embodiment herein, when a timeAlignmentTimer expires and if the timeAlignmentTimer is associated with the pTAG, MAC entity flushes all HARQ buffers for all serving cells, except HARQ buffers configured or used for FeMBMS for which Time-Frequency Interleaving feature is configured or applied.

[0231] In an embodiment herein, when a timeAlignmentTimer expires and if the timeAlignmentTimer is associated with a sTAG, then for all Serving Cells belonging to this TAG, MAC entity flushes all HARQ buffers except HARQ buffers configured or used for FeMBMS for which Time-Frequency Interleaving feature is configured or applied.

[0232] In an embodiment herein, if a reset of the MAC entity is requested by upper layers, the MAC entity shall flush the soft buffers for all DL HARQ processes except for HARQ processes configured or used for FeMBMS for which the Time-Frequency Interleaving feature has been configured or applied.

[0233] In an embodiment herein, if a reset of the MAC entity is requested by upper layers, for each DL HARQ process, the MAC entity shall consider the next received transmission for a TB as the very first transmission, except for HARQ processes configured or used for FeMBMS for which Time-Frequency Interleaving feature is configured or applied.

[0234] The embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented through at least one software program running on at least one hardware device and performing network management functions to control the network elements. The elements include blocks which can be at least one of a hardware device, or a combination of hardware device and software module.

[0235] The embodiments disclosed herein describe systems and methods of HARQ operation for receiving 5G broadcast transmission(s) in wireless communication networks. Therefore, it is understood that the scope of the protection is extended to such a program and in addition to a computer readable means having a message therein, such computer readable storage means contain program code means for implementation of one or more steps of the method, when the program runs on a server or mobile device or any suitable programmable device. The method is implemented in at least one embodiment through or together with a software program written in e.g., Very high speed integrated circuit Hardware Description Language (VHDL) another programming language or implemented by one or more VHDL or several software modules being executed on at least one hardware device. The hardware device can be any kind of portable device that can be programmed. The device may also include means which could be e.g., hardware means like e.g., an ASIC, or a combination of hardware and software means, e.g., an ASIC and an FPGA, or at least one microprocessor and at least one memory with software modules located therein. The method embodiments described herein could be implemented partly in hardware and partly in software. Alternatively, the invention may be implemented on different hardware devices, e.g., using a plurality of CPUs.

[0236] The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and / or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of embodiments and examples, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments and examples disclosed herein can be practised with modification within the scope of the embodiments as described herein.

Claims

1.A method performed by a terminal in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:receiving, from a base station(BS), configuration information for a time-interleaved Multicast Channel(MCH) transmission;receiving, from the BS, MCH scheduling information (MSI), based on the configuration information;identifying at least one Multicast Traffic Channel (MTCH) and at least one subframe corresponding to each of the at least one MTCH, based on the MSI;receiving, from the BS, a transport block, TB, associated with a hybrid automatic repeat request, HARQ, process in a subframe among the at least one subframe, the HARQ process being associated with a transmission indicated with a multicast radio network temporary identifier, M-RNTI for the time-interleaved MCH transmission;identifying whether the TB has not yet been successfully decoded; andif the TB has not yet been successfully decoded, combining the TB with a TB currently in a soft buffer for the TB and attempting to decode the combined TB.2.The method of claim 1, further comprising:if the TB which the terminal attempted to decode was successfully decoded, delivering a MAC SDU corresponding to the TB to upper layers.3.The method of claim 2, the delivering further comprising:skipping a de-multiplexing of the decoded TB.4.The method of claim 1, further comprising:skipping a transmission of an acknowledgement (ACK) or a Negative Acknowledgement (NACK) corresponding to the TB, to the BS.5.The method of claim 1,wherein a number of the at least one subframe is an integer multiple of a number of the at least one TB.6.The method of claim 1,wherein the MTCH is allocated for at least one subframe not containing a Multicast Control Channel(MCCH) and the MSI.7.The method of claim 1,wherein the TB is transmitted on a set of at least one subframe defined by the configuration information.8.A terminal in a wireless communication system, the terminal comprising:at least one transceiver;at least one processor communicatively coupled to the at least one transceiver; andat least one memory, communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, storing instructions executable by the at least one processor individually or in any combination to cause the terminal to:receive, from a base station(BS), configuration information for a time-interleaved Multicast Channel(MCH) transmission;receive, from the BS, MCH scheduling information (MSI), based on the configuration information;identify at least one Multicast Traffic Channel (MTCH) and at least one subframe corresponding to each of the at least one MTCH, based on the MSI;receive, from the BS, a transport block, TB, associated with a hybrid automatic repeat request, HARQ, process in a subframe among the at least one subframe, the HARQ process being associated with a transmission indicated with a multicast radio network temporary identifier, M-RNTI for the time-interleaved MCH transmission;identify whether the TB has not yet been successfully decoded; andif the TB has not yet been successfully decoded, combine the TB with a TB currently in a soft buffer for the TB and attempting to decode the combined TB.9.The terminal of claim 8, wherein the terminal is further caused to:if the TB which the terminal attempted to decode was successfully decoded, deliver a MAC SDU corresponding to the TB to upper layers.10.The terminal of claim 9, wherein the terminal is further caused to:skip a de-multiplexing of the decoded TB.11.The terminal of claim 8, wherein the terminal is further caused to:skip a transmission of an acknowledgement (ACK) or a Negative Acknowledgement (NACK) corresponding to the TB, to the BS.12.The terminal of claim 8,wherein a number of the at least one subframe is an integer multiple of a number of the at least one TB.13.The terminal of claim 8,wherein the MTCH is allocated for at least one subframe not containing a Multicast Control Channel(MCCH) and the MSI.14.The terminal of claim 8,wherein the TB is transmitted on a set of at least one subframe defined by the configuration information.

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