Patent Publication Number: US-2023164672-A1

Title: Uplink-only or downlink-only downlink control information mode

Description:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication and to techniques and apparatuses for an uplink-only or downlink-only downlink control information (DCI) mode. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various telecommunication services such as telephony, video, data, messaging, and broadcasts. Typical wireless communication systems may employ multiple-access technologies capable of supporting communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power, and/or the like). Examples of such multiple-access technologies include code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency-division multiple access (FDMA) systems, orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) systems, single-carrier frequency-division multiple access (SC-FDMA) systems, time division synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) systems, and Long Term Evolution (LTE). LTE/LTE-Advanced is a set of enhancements to the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) mobile standard promulgated by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). 
     A wireless communication network may include a number of base stations (BSs) that can support communication for a number of user equipment (UEs). A user equipment (UE) may communicate with a base station (BS) via the downlink and uplink. The downlink (or forward link) refers to the communication link from the BS to the UE, and the uplink (or reverse link) refers to the communication link from the UE to the BS. As will be described in more detail herein, a BS may be referred to as a Node B, a gNB, an access point (AP), a radio head, a transmit receive point (TRP), a New Radio (NR) BS, a 5G Node B, and/or the like. 
     The above multiple access technologies have been adopted in various telecommunication standards to provide a common protocol that enables different user equipment to communicate on a municipal, national, regional, and even global level. New Radio (NR), which may also be referred to as 5G, is a set of enhancements to the LTE mobile standard promulgated by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). NR is designed to better support mobile broadband Internet access by improving spectral efficiency, lowering costs, improving services, making use of new spectrum, and better integrating with other open standards using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) with a cyclic prefix (CP) (CP-OFDM) on the downlink (DL), using CP-OFDM and/or SC-FDM (e.g., also known as discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM)) on the uplink (UL), as well as supporting beamforming, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology, and carrier aggregation. However, as the demand for mobile broadband access continues to increase, there exists a need for further improvements in LTE and NR technologies. Preferably, these improvements should be applicable to other multiple access technologies and the telecommunication standards that employ these technologies. 
     SUMMARY 
     In some aspects, a method of wireless communication, performed by a user equipment (UE), may include selecting a downlink control information (DCI) mode to be used by the UE, wherein the selected DCI mode is one of a joint DCI mode in which a DCI for an uplink and a DCI for a downlink are monitored jointly, or a separate DCI mode in which one or more of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink are monitored separately; and monitoring at least one of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink in accordance with the selected DCI mode. 
     In some aspects, a method of wireless communication, performed by a base station, may include configuring a DCI mode to be used by a UE, wherein the DCI mode is one of: a joint DCI mode in which a DCI for an uplink and a DCI for a downlink are monitored jointly, or a separate DCI mode in which one or more of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink are monitored separately; and transmitting at least one of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink in accordance with the DCI mode. 
     In some aspects, a UE for wireless communication may include memory and one or more processors operatively coupled to the memory. The memory and the one or more processors may be configured to select a DCI mode to be used by the UE, wherein the selected DCI mode is one of: a joint DCI mode in which a DCI for an uplink and a DCI for a downlink are monitored jointly, or a separate DCI mode in which one or more of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink are monitored separately; and monitor at least one of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink in accordance with the selected DCI mode. 
     In some aspects, a base station for wireless communication may include memory and one or more processors operatively coupled to the memory. The memory and the one or more processors may be configured to configure a DCI mode to be used by a UE, wherein the DCI mode is one of: a joint DCI mode in which a DCI for an uplink and a DCI for a downlink are monitored jointly, or a separate DCI mode in which one or more of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink are monitored separately; and transmit at least one of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink in accordance with the DCI mode. 
     In some aspects, a non-transitory computer-readable medium may store one or more instructions for wireless communication. The one or more instructions, when executed by one or more processors of a UE, may cause the one or more processors to: select a DCI mode to be used by the UE, wherein the selected DCI mode is one of: a joint DCI mode in which a DCI for an uplink and a DCI for a downlink are monitored jointly, or a separate DCI mode in which one or more of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink are monitored separately; and monitor at least one of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink in accordance with the selected DCI mode. 
     In some aspects, a non-transitory computer-readable medium may store one or more instructions for wireless communication. The one or more instructions, when executed by one or more processors of a base station, may cause the one or more processors to: configure a DCI mode to be used by a UE, wherein the DCI mode is one of: a joint DCI mode in which a DCI for an uplink and a DCI for a downlink are monitored jointly, or a separate DCI mode in which one or more of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink are monitored separately; and transmit at least one of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink in accordance with the DCI mode. 
     In some aspects, an apparatus for wireless communication may include means for selecting a DCI mode to be used by the UE, wherein the selected DCI mode is one of: a joint DCI mode in which a DCI for an uplink and a DCI for a downlink are monitored jointly, or a separate DCI mode in which one or more of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink are monitored separately; and means for monitoring at least one of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink in accordance with the selected DCI mode. 
     In some aspects, an apparatus for wireless communication may include means for configuring a DCI mode to be used by a UE, wherein the DCI mode is one of: a joint DCI mode in which a DCI for an uplink and a DCI for a downlink are monitored jointly, or a separate DCI mode in which one or more of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink are monitored separately; and means for transmitting at least one of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink in accordance with the DCI mode. 
     Aspects generally include a method, apparatus, system, computer program product, non-transitory computer-readable medium, user equipment, base station, wireless communication device, and/or processing system as substantially described herein with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings. 
     The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of examples according to the disclosure in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages will be described hereinafter. The conception and specific examples disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present disclosure. Such equivalent constructions do not depart from the scope of the appended claims. Characteristics of the concepts disclosed herein, both their organization and method of operation, together with associated advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. Each of the figures is provided for the purposes of illustration and description, and not as a definition of the limits of the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       So that the above-recited features of the present disclosure can be understood in detail, a more particular description, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to aspects, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only certain typical aspects of this disclosure and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the description may admit to other equally effective aspects. The same reference numbers in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements. 
         FIG.  1    is a block diagram conceptually illustrating an example of a wireless communication network, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  2    is a block diagram conceptually illustrating an example of a base station in communication with a UE in a wireless communication network, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  3    is a diagram illustrating an example of capability signaling and configuration of a separate DCI mode, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  4    is a diagram illustrating an example of periodic or semi-persistent configurations for a separate DCI mode, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  5    is a diagram illustrating an example process performed, for example, by a user equipment, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. 
         FIG.  6    is a diagram illustrating an example process performed, for example, by a base station, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Various aspects of the disclosure are described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. This disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to any specific structure or function presented throughout this disclosure. Rather, these aspects are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. Based on the teachings herein one skilled in the art should appreciate that the scope of the disclosure is intended to cover any aspect of the disclosure disclosed herein, whether implemented independently of or combined with any other aspect of the disclosure. For example, an apparatus may be implemented or a method may be practiced using any number of the aspects set forth herein. In addition, the scope of the disclosure is intended to cover such an apparatus or method which is practiced using other structure, functionality, or structure and functionality in addition to or other than the various aspects of the disclosure set forth herein. It should be understood that any aspect of the disclosure disclosed herein may be embodied by one or more elements of a claim. 
     Several aspects of telecommunication systems will now be presented with reference to various apparatuses and techniques. These apparatuses and techniques will be described in the following detailed description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings by various blocks, modules, components, circuits, steps, processes, algorithms, and/or the like (collectively referred to as “elements”). These elements may be implemented using hardware, software, or combinations thereof. Whether such elements are implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. 
     It should be noted that while aspects may be described herein using terminology commonly associated with 3G and/or 4G wireless technologies, aspects of the present disclosure can be applied in other generation-based communication systems, such as 5G and later, including NR technologies. 
       FIG.  1    is a diagram illustrating a wireless network  100  in which aspects of the present disclosure may be practiced. The wireless network  100  may be an LTE network or some other wireless network, such as a 5G or NR network. The wireless network  100  may include a number of BSs  110  (shown as BS  110   a,  BS  110   b,  BS  110   c,  and BS  110   d ) and other network entities. A BS is an entity that communicates with user equipment (UEs) and may also be referred to as a base station, a NR BS, a Node B, a gNB, a 5G node B (NB), an access point, a transmit receive point (TRP), and/or the like. Each BS may provide communication coverage for a particular geographic area. In 3GPP, the term “cell” can refer to a coverage area of a BS and/or a BS subsystem serving this coverage area, depending on the context in which the term is used. 
     ABS may provide communication coverage for a macro cell, a pico cell, a femto cell, and/or another type of cell. A macro cell may cover a relatively large geographic area (e.g., several kilometers in radius) and may allow unrestricted access by UEs with service subscription. A pico cell may cover a relatively small geographic area and may allow unrestricted access by UEs with service subscription. A femto cell may cover a relatively small geographic area (e.g., a home) and may allow restricted access by UEs having association with the femto cell (e.g., UEs in a closed subscriber group (CSG)). ABS for a macro cell may be referred to as a macro BS. A BS for a pico cell may be referred to as a pico BS. ABS for a femto cell may be referred to as a femto BS or a home BS. In the example shown in  FIG.  1   , a BS  110   a  may be a macro BS for a macro cell  102   a,  a BS  110   b  may be a pico BS for a pico cell  102   b,  and a BS  110   c  may be a femto BS for a femto cell  102   c.  ABS may support one or multiple (e.g., three) cells. The terms “eNB”, “base station”, “NR BS”, “gNB”, “TRP”, “AP”, “node B”, “5G NB”, and “cell” may be used interchangeably herein. 
     In some aspects, a cell may not necessarily be stationary, and the geographic area of the cell may move according to the location of a mobile BS. In some aspects, the BSs may be interconnected to one another and/or to one or more other BSs or network nodes (not shown) in the wireless network  100  through various types of backhaul interfaces such as a direct physical connection, a virtual network, and/or the like using any suitable transport network. 
     Wireless network  100  may also include relay stations. A relay station is an entity that can receive a transmission of data from an upstream station (e.g., a BS or a UE) and send a transmission of the data to a downstream station (e.g., a UE or a BS). A relay station may also be a UE that can relay transmissions for other UEs. In the example shown in  FIG.  1   , a relay station  110   d  may communicate with macro BS  110   a  and a UE  120   d  in order to facilitate communication between BS  110   a  and UE  120   d.  A relay station may also be referred to as a relay BS, a relay base station, a relay, and/or the like. 
     Wireless network  100  may be a heterogeneous network that includes BSs of different types, e.g., macro BSs, pico BSs, femto BSs, relay BSs, and/or the like. These different types of BSs may have different transmit power levels, different coverage areas, and different impacts on interference in wireless network  100 . For example, macro BSs may have a high transmit power level (e.g., 5 to 40 Watts) whereas pico BSs, femto BSs, and relay BSs may have lower transmit power levels (e.g., 0.1 to 2 Watts). 
     A network controller  130  may couple to a set of BSs and may provide coordination and control for these BSs. Network controller  130  may communicate with the BSs via a backhaul. The BSs may also communicate with one another, e.g., directly or indirectly via a wireless or wireline backhaul. 
     UEs  120  (e.g.,  120   a,    120   b,    120   c ) may be dispersed throughout wireless network  100 , and each UE may be stationary or mobile. A UE may also be referred to as an access terminal, a terminal, a mobile station, a subscriber unit, a station, and/or the like. A UE may be a cellular phone (e.g., a smart phone), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a wireless modem, a wireless communication device, a handheld device, a laptop computer, a cordless phone, a wireless local loop (WLL) station, a tablet, a camera, a gaming device, a netbook, a smartbook, an ultrabook, a medical device or equipment, biometric sensors/devices, wearable devices (smart watches, smart clothing, smart glasses, smart wrist bands, smart jewelry (e.g., smart ring, smart bracelet)), an entertainment device (e.g., a music or video device, or a satellite radio), a vehicular component or sensor, smart meters/sensors, industrial manufacturing equipment, a global positioning system device, or any other suitable device that is configured to communicate via a wireless or wired medium. 
     Some UEs may be considered machine-type communication (MTC) or evolved or enhanced machine-type communication (eMTC) UEs. MTC and eMTC UEs include, for example, robots, drones, remote devices, sensors, meters, monitors, location tags, and/or the like, that may communicate with a base station, another device (e.g., remote device), or some other entity. A wireless node may provide, for example, connectivity for or to a network (e.g., a wide area network such as Internet or a cellular network) via a wired or wireless communication link. Some UEs may be considered Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices, and/or may be implemented as NB-IoT (narrowband internet of things) devices. Some UEs may be considered a Customer Premises Equipment (CPE). UE  120  may be included inside a housing that houses components of UE  120 , such as processor components, memory components, and/or the like. 
     In general, any number of wireless networks may be deployed in a given geographic area. Each wireless network may support a particular radio access technology (RAT) and may operate on one or more frequencies. A RAT may also be referred to as a radio technology, an air interface, and/or the like. A frequency may also be referred to as a carrier, a frequency channel, and/or the like. Each frequency may support a single RAT in a given geographic area in order to avoid interference between wireless networks of different RATs. In some cases, NR or 5G RAT networks may be deployed. 
     In some aspects, two or more UEs  120  (e.g., shown as UE  120   a  and UE  120   e ) may communicate directly using one or more sidelink channels (e.g., without using a base station  110  as an intermediary to communicate with one another). For example, the UEs  120  may communicate using peer-to-peer (P2P) communications, device-to-device (D2D) communications, a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) protocol (e.g., which may include a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) protocol, a vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) protocol, and/or the like), a mesh network, and/or the like. In this case, the UE  120  may perform scheduling operations, resource selection operations, and/or other operations described elsewhere herein as being performed by the base station  110 . 
     As indicated above,  FIG.  1    is provided as an example. Other examples may differ from what is described with regard to  FIG.  1   . 
       FIG.  2    shows a block diagram of a design  200  of base station  110  and UE  120 , which may be one of the base stations and one of the UEs in  FIG.  1   . Base station  110  may be equipped with T antennas  234   a  through  234   t,  and UE  120  may be equipped with R antennas  252   a  through  252   r,  where in general T≥1 and R≥1. 
     At base station  110 , a transmit processor  220  may receive data from a data source  212  for one or more UEs, select one or more modulation and coding schemes (MCS) for each UE based at least in part on channel quality indicators (CQIs) received from the UE, process (e.g., encode and modulate) the data for each UE based at least in part on the MCS(s) selected for the UE, and provide data symbols for all UEs. Transmit processor  220  may also process system information (e.g., for semi-static resource partitioning information (SRPI) and/or the like) and control information (e.g., CQI requests, grants, upper layer signaling, and/or the like) and provide overhead symbols and control symbols. Transmit processor  220  may also generate reference symbols for reference signals (e.g., the cell-specific reference signal (CRS)) and synchronization signals (e.g., the primary synchronization signal (PSS) and secondary synchronization signal (SSS)). A transmit (TX) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) processor  230  may perform spatial processing (e.g., precoding) on the data symbols, the control symbols, the overhead symbols, and/or the reference symbols, if applicable, and may provide T output symbol streams to T modulators (MODs)  232   a  through  232   t.  Each modulator  232  may process a respective output symbol stream (e.g., for OFDM and/or the like) to obtain an output sample stream. Each modulator  232  may further process (e.g., convert to analog, amplify, filter, and upconvert) the output sample stream to obtain a downlink signal. T downlink signals from modulators  232   a  through  232   t  may be transmitted via T antennas  234   a  through  234   t,  respectively. According to various aspects described in more detail below, the synchronization signals can be generated with location encoding to convey additional information. 
     At UE  120 , antennas  252   a  through  252   r  may receive the downlink signals from base station  110  and/or other base stations and may provide received signals to demodulators (DEMODs)  254   a  through  254   r,  respectively. Each demodulator  254  may condition (e.g., filter, amplify, downconvert, and digitize) a received signal to obtain input samples. Each demodulator  254  may further process the input samples (e.g., for OFDM and/or the like) to obtain received symbols. A MIMO detector  256  may obtain received symbols from all R demodulators  254   a  through  254   r,  perform MIMO detection on the received symbols if applicable, and provide detected symbols. A receive processor  258  may process (e.g., demodulate and decode) the detected symbols, provide decoded data for UE  120  to a data sink  260 , and provide decoded control information and system information to a controller/processor  280 . A channel processor may determine reference signal received power (RSRP), received signal strength indicator (RSSI), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), channel quality indicator (CQI), and/or the like. In some aspects, one or more components of UE  120  may be included in a housing. 
     On the uplink, at UE  120 , a transmit processor  264  may receive and process data from a data source  262  and control information (e.g., for reports comprising RSRP, RSSI, RSRQ, CQI, and/or the like) from controller/processor  280 . Transmit processor  264  may also generate reference symbols for one or more reference signals. The symbols from transmit processor  264  may be precoded by a TX MIMO processor  266  if applicable, further processed by modulators  254   a  through  254   r  (e.g., for DFT-s-OFDM, CP-OFDM, and/or the like), and transmitted to base station  110 . At base station  110 , the uplink signals from UE  120  and other UEs may be received by antennas  234 , processed by demodulators  232 , detected by a MIMO detector  236  if applicable, and further processed by a receive processor  238  to obtain decoded data and control information sent by UE  120 . Receive processor  238  may provide the decoded data to a data sink  239  and the decoded control information to controller/processor  240 . Base station  110  may include communication unit  244  and communicate to network controller  130  via communication unit  244 . Network controller  130  may include communication unit  294 , controller/processor  290 , and memory  292 . 
     Controller/processor  240  of base station  110 , controller/processor  280  of UE  120 , and/or any other component(s) of  FIG.  2    may perform one or more techniques associated with an uplink-only or downlink-only DCI mode, as described in more detail elsewhere herein. For example, controller/processor  240  of base station  110 , controller/processor  280  of UE  120 , and/or any other component(s) of  FIG.  2    may perform or direct operations of, for example, process  500  of  FIG.  5   , process  600  of  FIG.  6   , and/or other processes as described herein. Memories  242  and  282  may store data and program codes for base station  110  and UE  120 , respectively. In some aspects, memory  242  and/or memory  282  may comprise a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions for wireless communication. For example, the one or more instructions, when executed by one or more processors of the base station  110  and/or the UE  120 , may perform or direct operations of, for example, process  500  of  FIG.  5   , process  600  of  FIG.  6   , and/or other processes as described herein. A scheduler  246  may schedule UEs for data transmission on the downlink and/or uplink. 
     In some aspects, UE  120  may include means for selecting a downlink control information (DCI) mode to be used by the UE, wherein the selected DCI mode is one of a joint DCI mode in which a DCI for an uplink and a DCI for a downlink are monitored jointly, or a separate DCI mode in which one or more of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink are monitored separately; means for monitoring at least one of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink in accordance with the selected DCI mode; means for providing capability information indicating whether the UE supports the joint DCI mode, the separate DCI mode, or a combination thereof; means for receiving information indicating one or more DCI modes for one or more corresponding component carriers; means for receiving information configuring one or more bandwidth parts, wherein the information indicates one or more respective DCI modes for the one or more bandwidth parts; means for receiving information activating one or more bandwidth parts, wherein the information indicates one or more respective DCI modes for the one or more bandwidth parts; means for monitoring in accordance with the selected DCI mode based at least in part on the time ratio; and/or the like. In some aspects, such means may include one or more components of UE  120  described in connection with  FIG.  2   , such as controller/processor  280 , transmit processor  264 , TX MIMO processor  266 , MOD  254 , antenna  252 , DEMOD  254 , MIMO detector  256 , receive processor  258 , and/or the like. 
     In some aspects, base station  110  may include means for configuring a DCI mode to be used by a UE, wherein the DCI mode is one of a joint DCI mode in which a DCI for an uplink and a DCI for a downlink are monitored jointly, or a separate DCI mode in which one or more of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink are monitored separately; means for transmitting at least one of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink in accordance with the DCI mode; means for receiving capability information indicating whether the UE supports the joint DCI mode, the separate DCI mode, or a combination thereof, wherein configuring the DCI mode is based at least in part on the capability information; means for signaling information indicating the DCI mode to be selected by the UE; means for transmitting information indicating one or more DCI modes for one or more corresponding component carriers; means for transmitting information configuring one or more bandwidth parts, wherein the information indicates one or more respective DCI modes for the one or more bandwidth parts; means for transmitting information activating one or more bandwidth parts, wherein the information indicates one or more respective DCI modes for the one or more bandwidth parts; means for transmitting at least one of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink in accordance with the DCI mode based at least in part on the time ratio; and/or the like. In some aspects, such means may include one or more components of base station  110  described in connection with  FIG.  2   , such as antenna  234 , DEMOD  232 , MIMO detector  236 , receive processor  238 , controller/processor  240 , transmit processor  220 , TX MIMO processor  230 , MOD  232 , antenna  234 , and/or the like. 
     As indicated above,  FIG.  2    is provided as an example. Other examples may differ from what is described with regard to  FIG.  2   . 
     A base station may provide downlink control information (DCI) to a UE. DCI may include various information for communication by the UE, such as downlink scheduling information, an uplink grant, and/or the like. DCI that includes downlink scheduling information may be referred to herein as DCI for the downlink, and DCI that includes an uplink grant may be referred to herein as DCI for the uplink. 
     A UE may monitor for DCI in accordance with a search space set. A search space set may identify a configuration for a time-domain pattern for monitoring occasions (e.g., a starting symbol, a slot, and a periodicity), an aggregation level, a number of number candidates, whether the search space set is a UE-specific search space set or a common search space set, one or more DCI formats associated with the search space set, and/or the like. For example, the search space set may identify a resource on which the DCI is to be transmitted and a set of aggregation levels for the search space set. The UE may detect a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) payload by performing blind decoding in one or more search space sets. 
     A DCI format may identify a structure or data format for the DCI. One set of DCI formats is defined in 3GPP Technical Specification 38.212. For example, there may be respective DCI formats for fallback DCI for the uplink (e.g., DCI Format 0_0), fallback DCI for the downlink (e.g., DCI Format 1_0), non-fallback DCI for the uplink (e.g., DCI Format 0_1), and non-fallback DCI for the downlink (e.g., DCI Format 1_1). Fallback DCI may support a limited set of features, which may lead to reduced overhead. Fallback DCI may be used, for example, during a transition period of feature configuration. Non-fallback DCI may support a full set of features (e.g., cross-carrier switching, bandwidth part switching, and/or the like) and may be more flexible than fallback DCI. 
     A UE may perform blind decoding to detect a PDCCH that carries DCI. For example, the UE may determine PDCCH configuration information in a range of physical resources based at least in part on a control resource set (CORESET) configuration and a search space set configuration. In the identified range, the UE may apply different PDCCH configuration parameters (e.g., aggregation level (AL), number of PDCCH candidates per AL and radio network temporary identifier (RNTI)) to identify potential locations and control channel elements (CCEs) on which the PDCCH may be transmitted. These potential locations and CCEs may be referred to as PDCCH candidates. The UE may apply a RNTI-based scrambling mask for each PDCCH candidate to receive the PDCCH/DCI by blind detection. The UE may perform blind decoding to detect DCI in each configured search space set occasion. 
     In some cases, uplink and downlink fallback DCIs may be size matched, meaning that a single blind decode may be used for both the uplink and the downlink. In this case, uplink and downlink fallback DCIs may be differentiated by DCI content. In many cases, uplink and downlink non-fallback DCIs are not size matched, meaning that separate blind decodes are used to detect uplink and downlink non-fallback DCIs, which consumes more computing resources than a single blind decoding operation. 
     In many cases, non-fallback DCI for the uplink and non-fallback DCI for the downlink may be bundled together (e.g., configured and received in a same search space set). However, a device may not use DCI for the uplink and DCI for the downlink equally often. For example, consider a device that performs mostly uplink communication, such as a video surveillance device. The device that performs mostly uplink communication may use significant computing resources blindly decoding DCI for the downlink that is unlikely to provide scheduling information for the device that performs mostly uplink communication. Therefore, bundling non-fallback DCI for the uplink and non-fallback DCI for the downlink may be wasteful of computing resources of some devices. 
     Some techniques and apparatuses described herein provide configuration of an uplink-only DCI mode or a downlink-only DCI mode, in which the DCI for the uplink and the DCI for the downlink are not bundled together. For example, in the uplink-only DCI mode, the BS may transmit, and the UE may monitor, only a DCI for the uplink for a given search space set. In the downlink-only DCI mode, the BS may transmit, and the UE may monitor, only a DCI for the downlink for a given search space set. Furthermore, some techniques and apparatuses described herein may provide switching between a joint DCI mode (in which the DCI for the downlink and the DCI for the uplink are bundled) and a separate DCI mode (e.g., the uplink-only DCI mode or the downlink-only DCI mode). Still further, some techniques and apparatuses described herein provide bandwidth-part-specific configuration, carrier-specific configuration, and periodic or semi-persistent configuration of the joint DCI mode or the separate DCI mode. 
     In this way, computing and communication resources of the UE, that would otherwise be used to decode bundled uplink and downlink DCI, are conserved. Furthermore, computing and communication resources of the base station, that would otherwise be used to transmit bundled uplink and downlink DCI, are conserved. Thus, a UE that performs mostly uplink communications or mostly downlink communications can be more efficiently scheduled. 
       FIG.  3    is a diagram illustrating an example  300  of capability signaling and configuration of a separate DCI mode, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. As shown, example  300  includes a BS  110  and a UE  120 . 
     As shown in  FIG.  3   , and by reference number  310 , the UE  120  may provide capability information to the BS  110 . For example, the capability information may include UE capability information and/or the like. The capability information may indicate whether the UE  120  supports a joint DCI mode (in which DCI for the uplink and DCI for the downlink are jointly monitored in a search space set), a separate DCI mode (in which DCI for the uplink and DCI for the downlink are separately monitored in a search space set), or a combination thereof. As used herein, the DCI for the uplink may refer to a fallback DCI for the uplink or a non-fallback DCI for the uplink. Similarly, the DCI for the downlink may refer to a non-fallback DCI for the downlink or a fallback DCI for the downlink. 
     In some aspects, separately monitoring the DCI for the uplink and the DCI for the downlink may refer to monitoring only one of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink. For example, in an uplink-only DCI mode, the UE  120  may monitor only the DCI for the uplink, and in a downlink-only DCI mode, the UE  120  may monitor only the DCI for the downlink. In some aspects, separately monitoring the DCI may refer to monitoring one of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink more frequently than the other of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink. 
     In some aspects, the BS  110  and/or the UE  120  may determine a capability based at least in part on a UE type of the UE  120 . For example, an NR-light UE (e.g., as defined by 3GPP Release 17) may support the joint DCI mode and the separate DCI mode, and an NR UE (e.g., as defined by 3GPP Releases 15 and 16) may support only the joint DCI mode. In this way, the UE  120  and/or the BS  110  may determine the capability without explicit signaling of the capability information between the UE  120  and the BS  110 . 
     As shown by reference number  320 , the BS  110  may configure or activate a separate DCI mode for the UE  120 . For example, the BS  110  may configure or activate the separate DCI mode using radio resource control signaling, medium access control signaling, DCI, and/or the like. In some aspects, the UE  120  may determine which DCI mode is to be used without receiving signaling from the BS  110 . Thus, receiving a configuration or activation of the DCI mode, and determining which DCI mode is to be used, are collectively referred to as selecting the DCI mode. 
     In some aspects, the BS  110  may explicitly activate the separate DCI mode for the UE  120 . In some aspects, the BS  110  may switch the UE  120  to a bandwidth part associated with the separate DCI mode. In some aspects, the BS  110  may configure or activate the joint DCI mode (not shown in  FIG.  3   ) by performing operation similar to those described for configuring or activating the separate DCI mode. In some aspects, the BS  110  may configure a timer for the separate DCI mode or the joint DCI mode. For example, the BS  110  may activate the separate DCI mode, and may configure a timer associated with the separate DCI mode. The UE  120  may switch from the separate DCI mode to the joint DCI mode based at least in part on the timer expiring. This may conserve signaling resources that would otherwise be used to explicitly deactivate the separate DCI mode. 
     In some aspects, the BS  110  and/or the UE  120  may activate or deactivate the joint DCI mode or the separate DCI mode based at least in part on a mode of the UE  120  (e.g., an operation mode of the UE  120 ). For example, when the UE  120  is in an idle mode or an inactive mode, the UE  120  may use a joint DCI mode to monitor downlink paging. In this case, the UE  120  may transmit traffic using a random access channel (RACH) message transmission, such as a Msg1 data transmission or a Msg3 data transmission. When the UE  120  is in a connected mode, the UE  120  may use a separate DCI mode to monitor the DCI for the uplink. For example, the UE  120  may request to enter the connected mode based at least in part on an uplink-heavy traffic condition or a downlink-heavy traffic condition at the UE  120 . In such a case, the request to enter the connected mode may indicate a reason for the uplink-heavy traffic condition or the downlink-heavy traffic condition (e.g., a transmission associated with the uplink-heavy traffic condition and/or the like). 
     In some aspects, the BS  110  may activate or configure the joint DCI mode or the separate DCI mode based at least in part on a request from the UE  120 . For example, the UE  120  may request the joint DCI mode or the separate DCI mode based at least in part on a traffic condition at the UE  120  (e.g., an uplink-heavy traffic condition, a downlink-heavy traffic condition, and/or the like). 
     In some aspects, the separate DCI mode or the joint DCI mode may be configured for a component carrier (CC). For example, the configuration of the separate DCI mode or the joint DCI mode may be per CC. In this case, when the UE  120  is in a low power mode on a secondary cell (SCell), the UE  120  may use a separate DCI mode for the SCell. When the UE  120  is set to a low power mode on a primary cell (PCell), the UE  120  may be configured with a separate DCI mode for the PCell. This configuration could be indicated using radio resource control signaling, medium access control signaling, or DCI. In some aspects, this configuration may be indicated on the PCell (e.g., for the PCell and one or more SCells), or may be indicated separately per cell. 
     In some aspects, the separate DCI mode or the joint DCI mode may be configured per bandwidth part. For example, a bandwidth part may be configured for uplink-heavy traffic (e.g., based at least in part on having a larger uplink bandwidth than downlink bandwidth, or based at least in part on having a larger uplink bandwidth than a baseline bandwidth part configuration). If a bandwidth part is configured for uplink-heavy traffic, then the BS  110  may configure the bandwidth part to use an uplink-only DCI mode. For example, the DCI mode of the bandwidth part may be configured in an initial active bandwidth part configuration. In such a case, the UE  120  may receive the configuration of the DCI mode of the bandwidth part with other configuration information relating to the bandwidth part during initial access. In some aspects, the DCI mode of the bandwidth part may be configured as part of the current active bandwidth part configuration. For example, an active bandwidth part of the UE  120  may be configured with information indicating a DCI mode of another bandwidth part that can be activated for the UE  120 . As another example, the UE  120  may receive, on the active bandwidth part (e.g., using dedicated radio resource control signaling, medium access control signaling, or DCI), information indicating a DCI mode of a bandwidth part to which the UE  120  is to switch. 
     In some aspects, the DCI mode may be associated with a periodic or semi-persistent configuration. For example, the periodic or semi-persistent configuration may indicate that the UE  120  is to periodically monitor a search space set in accordance with a configured DCI mode. More detailed description of the periodic or semi-persistent configuration of the DCI mode is provided in connection with  FIG.  4   . 
     As shown by reference number  330 , the UE  120  may monitor a search space set for DCI for the uplink in accordance with the separate DCI mode. For example, if the separate DCI mode is an uplink-only DCI mode, then the UE  120  may monitor for DCI for the uplink. If the separate DCI mode is a downlink-only DCI mode, then the UE  120  may monitor for DCI for the downlink. By monitoring for DCI in accordance with the separate DCI mode, the UE  120  may conserve computing and communication resources that would otherwise be used for jointly monitoring for DCI. 
     As shown by reference number  340 , the BS  110  may transmit the DCI for the uplink to the UE  120 , and the UE  120  may detect the DCI for the uplink. For example, the BS  110  may transmit the DCI for the uplink without bundling the DCI for the uplink with corresponding DCI for the downlink. As shown by reference number  350 , the UE  120  may perform an uplink transmission using granted resources of the DCI for the uplink. For example, the UE  120  may identify a grant in the DCI for the uplink based at least in part on monitoring for the DCI for the uplink in accordance with the separate DCI mode, and may perform an uplink transmission using the grant. 
     As indicated above,  FIG.  3    is provided as an example. Other examples may differ from what is described with respect to  FIG.  3   . 
       FIG.  4    is a diagram illustrating an example  400  of periodic or semi-persistent configurations for a separate DCI mode, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. A periodic configuration of a separate DCI mode may be particularly useful for periodic uplink transmissions or periodic windows of heavy uplink traffic, and may conserve computing and communication resources that would otherwise be used to repetitively or periodically activate the separate DCI mode, then the joint DCI mode. In  FIG.  4   , the horizontal direction represents the time domain. 
     The diagram in the top part of  FIG.  4    shows an example of configuring a periodic separate DCI mode. As shown by reference number  410 , in some aspects, the periodic separate DCI mode may be configured using a starting slot offset. The starting slot offset may identify an offset from a start of a slot or subframe to a start of a time window in which the separate DCI mode is to be used. The time window in which the separate DCI mode is to be used is shown by reference number  420 . As shown by reference number  430 , in some aspects, the periodic separate DCI mode may be configured using a ratio. For example, the ratio may be a ratio of time or slots spent using the separate DCI mode (shown by reference number  440 ) to total time or slots. Here, the ratio is ½, so the UE may use the separate DCI mode approximately ½ of the time or in approximately ½ of subframes or slots. For example, the UE use the separate DCI mode for even slots and the joint DCI mode for odd slots, may use the separate DCI mode for odd slots and the joint DCI mode for even slots, or may use another configuration to achieve the ratio. One or more parameters for the periodic separate DCI mode may be provided to the UE  120  using radio resource control signaling, downlink control information, medium access control signaling, and/or the like. 
     As indicated above,  FIG.  4    is provided as an example. Other examples may differ from what is described with respect to  FIG.  4   . 
       FIG.  5    is a diagram illustrating an example process  500  performed, for example, by a UE, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. Example process  500  is an example where the UE (e.g., UE  120  and/or the like) performs operations associated with an uplink-only or downlink-only downlink control information mode. 
     As shown in  FIG.  5   , in some aspects, process  500  may include selecting a DCI mode to be used by the UE, wherein the selected DCI mode is one of: a joint DCI mode in which a DCI for an uplink and a DCI for a downlink are monitored jointly, or a separate DCI mode in which one or more of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink are monitored separately (block  510 ). For example, the UE (e.g., using antenna  252 , DEMOD  254 , MIMO detector  256 , receive processor  258 , controller/processor  280 , and/or the like) may select a downlink control information (DCI) mode to be used by the UE, as described above. In some aspects, the selected DCI mode is one of a joint DCI mode in which a DCI for an uplink and a DCI for a downlink are monitored jointly, or a separate DCI mode in which one or more of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink are monitored separately. 
     As further shown in  FIG.  5   , in some aspects, process  500  may include monitoring at least one of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink in accordance with the selected DCI mode (block  520 ). For example, the UE (e.g., using antenna  252 , DEMOD  254 , MIMO detector  256 , receive processor  258 , controller/processor  280 , and/or the like) may monitor at least one of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink in accordance with the selected DCI mode, as described above. 
     Process  500  may include additional aspects, such as any single aspect or any combination of aspects described below and/or in connection with one or more other processes described elsewhere herein. 
     In a first aspect, in the joint DCI mode, the DCI for the uplink and the DCI for the downlink are bundled in a search space set, and in the separate DCI mode, one or more of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink are monitored separately in the search space set. 
     In a second aspect, alone or in combination with the first aspect, selecting the DCI mode is based at least in part on a UE type of the UE. 
     In a third aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first and second aspects, process  500  includes providing capability information indicating whether the UE supports the joint DCI mode, the separate DCI mode, or a combination thereof. 
     In a fourth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through third aspects, selecting the DCI mode is based at least in part on signaling indicating which DCI mode is to be selected. 
     In a fifth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through fourth aspects, the signaling comprises at least one of radio resource control signaling, medium access control signaling, or DCI. 
     In a sixth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through fifth aspects, the signaling is based at least in part on an indication, transmitted by the UE, that indicates an uplink-heavy traffic condition or a downlink-heavy traffic condition. 
     In a seventh aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through sixth aspects, the selected DCI mode is associated with a timer based at least in part on which to switch to the joint DCI mode. 
     In an eighth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through seventh aspects, selecting the DCI mode is based at least in part on an operation mode of the UE. 
     In a ninth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through eighth aspects, selecting the DCI mode is based at least in part on a component carrier or cell associated with the UE. 
     In a tenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through ninth aspects, the separate DCI mode is selected based at least in part on the UE being in a low-power mode on a single component carrier. 
     In an eleventh aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through tenth aspects, process  500  includes receiving information indicating one or more DCI modes for one or more corresponding component carriers. 
     In a twelfth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through eleventh aspects, selecting the DCI mode is based at least in part on a bandwidth part configured for the UE. 
     In a thirteenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through twelfth aspects, the separate DCI mode is selected for a bandwidth part associated with an uplink-heavy traffic condition or a downlink-heavy traffic condition. 
     In a fourteenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through thirteenth aspects, process  500  includes receiving information configuring one or more bandwidth parts, wherein the information is indicating one or more respective DCI modes for the one or more bandwidth parts. 
     In a fifteenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through fourteenth aspects, process  500  includes receiving information activating one or more bandwidth parts, wherein the information is indicating one or more respective DCI modes for the one or more bandwidth parts. 
     In a sixteenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through fifteenth aspects, the selected DCI mode is associated with a periodic DCI, and the selected DCI mode indicates at least one of a periodicity or a time window associated with the periodic DCI. 
     In a seventeenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through sixteenth aspects, at least one of the periodicity or the time window are indicated using radio resource control signaling or medium access control signaling. 
     In an eighteenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through seventeenth aspects, the selected DCI mode is associated with a periodic DCI, the selected DCI mode indicates a time ratio, and monitoring at least one of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink in accordance with the selected DCI mode further comprises monitoring in accordance with the selected DCI mode based at least in part on the time ratio. 
     In a nineteenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through eighteenth aspects, the time ratio is indicated using radio resource control signaling or medium access control signaling. 
     In a twentieth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through nineteenth aspects, monitoring at least one of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink in accordance with the selected DCI mode further comprises monitoring only the DCI for the uplink in accordance with the selected DCI mode. 
     In a twenty-first aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through twentieth aspects, monitoring at least one of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink in accordance with the selected DCI mode further comprises monitoring only the DCI for the downlink in accordance with the selected DCI mode. 
     Although  FIG.  5    shows example blocks of process  500 , in some aspects, process  500  may include additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks than those depicted in  FIG.  5   . Additionally, or alternatively, two or more of the blocks of process  500  may be performed in parallel. 
       FIG.  6    is a diagram illustrating an example process  600  performed, for example, by a BS, in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure. Example process  600  is an example where the BS (e.g., BS  110  and/or the like) performs operations associated with an uplink-only or downlink-only downlink control information mode. 
     As shown in  FIG.  6   , in some aspects, process  600  may include configuring a DCI mode to be used by a UE, wherein the DCI mode is one of: a joint DCI mode in which a DCI for an uplink and a DCI for a downlink are monitored jointly, or a separate DCI mode in which one or more of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink are monitored separately (block  610 ). For example, the BS (e.g., using controller/processor  240 , transmit processor  220 , TX MIMO processor  230 , MOD  232 , antenna  234 , and/or the like) may configure a downlink control information (DCI) mode to be used by a user equipment (UE), as described above. In some aspects, the DCI mode is one of a joint DCI mode in which a DCI for an uplink and a DCI for a downlink are monitored jointly, or a separate DCI mode in which one or more of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink are monitored separately. 
     As further shown in  FIG.  6   , in some aspects, process  600  may include (block  620 ). For example, the BS (e.g., using controller/processor  240 , transmit processor  220 , TX MIMO processor  230 , MOD  232 , antenna  234 , and/or the like) may transmit at least one of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink in accordance with the DCI mode, as described above. 
     Process  600  may include additional aspects, such as any single aspect or any combination of aspects described below and/or in connection with one or more other processes described elsewhere herein. 
     In a first aspect, for the joint DCI mode, the DCI for the uplink and the DCI for the downlink are bundled in a search space set. 
     In a second aspect, alone or in combination with the first aspect, the DCI mode is based at least in part on a UE type of the UE. 
     In a third aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first and second aspects, process  600  includes receiving capability information indicating whether the UE supports the joint DCI mode, the separate DCI mode, or a combination thereof, wherein is configuring the DCI mode is based at least in part on the capability information. 
     In a fourth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through third aspects, process  600  includes signaling information indicating the DCI mode to be selected by the UE. 
     In a fifth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through fourth aspects, the signaling comprises at least one of radio resource control signaling, medium access control signaling, or DCI. 
     In a sixth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through fifth aspects, the signaling is based at least in part on an indication, received from the UE, that indicates an uplink-heavy traffic condition or a downlink-heavy traffic condition. 
     In a seventh aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through sixth aspects, the DCI mode is associated with a timer based at least in part on which to switch to the joint DCI mode. 
     In an eighth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through seventh aspects, the DCI mode is based at least in part on an operation mode of the UE. 
     In a ninth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through eighth aspects, the DCI mode is based at least in part on a component carrier or cell associated with the UE. 
     In a tenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through ninth aspects, the separate DCI mode is configured based at least in part on the UE being in a low-power mode on a single component carrier. 
     In an eleventh aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through tenth aspects, process  600  includes transmitting information indicating one or more DCI modes for one or more corresponding component carriers. 
     In a twelfth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through eleventh aspects, the DCI mode is based at least in part on a bandwidth part configured for the UE. 
     In a thirteenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through twelfth aspects, the separate DCI mode is used for a bandwidth part associated with an uplink-heavy traffic condition or a downlink-heavy traffic condition. 
     In a fourteenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through thirteenth aspects, process  600  includes transmitting information configuring one or more bandwidth parts, wherein the information is indicating one or more respective DCI modes for the one or more bandwidth parts. 
     In a fifteenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through fourteenth aspects, process  600  includes transmitting information activating one or more bandwidth parts, wherein the information is indicating one or more respective DCI modes for the one or more bandwidth parts. 
     In a sixteenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through fifteenth aspects, the DCI mode is associated with a periodic DCI, and the DCI mode indicates at least one of a periodicity or a time window associated with the periodic DCI. 
     In a seventeenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through sixteenth aspects, at least one of the periodicity or the time window are indicated using radio resource control signaling or medium access control signaling. 
     In an eighteenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through seventeenth aspects, the DCI mode is associated with a periodic DCI, the DCI mode indicates a time ratio, and transmitting at least one of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink in accordance with the DCI mode further comprises transmitting at least one of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink in accordance with the DCI mode based at least in part on the time ratio. 
     In a nineteenth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through eighteenth aspects, the time ratio is indicated using radio resource control signaling or medium access control signaling. 
     In a twentieth aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through nineteenth aspects, transmitting at least one of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink in accordance with the DCI mode further comprises transmitting only the DCI for the uplink in accordance with the DCI mode. 
     In a twenty-first aspect, alone or in combination with one or more of the first through twentieth aspects, transmitting at least one of the DCI for the uplink or the DCI for the downlink in accordance with the DCI mode further comprises transmitting only the DCI for the downlink in accordance with the DCI mode. 
     Although  FIG.  6    shows example blocks of process  600 , in some aspects, process  600  may include additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks than those depicted in  FIG.  6   . Additionally, or alternatively, two or more of the blocks of process  600  may be performed in parallel. 
     The foregoing disclosure provides illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the aspects to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations may be made in light of the above disclosure or may be acquired from practice of the aspects. 
     As used herein, the term “component” is intended to be broadly construed as hardware, firmware, and/or a combination of hardware and software. As used herein, a processor is implemented in hardware, firmware, and/or a combination of hardware and software. 
     As used herein, satisfying a threshold may, depending on the context, refer to a value being greater than the threshold, greater than or equal to the threshold, less than the threshold, less than or equal to the threshold, equal to the threshold, not equal to the threshold, and/or the like. 
     It will be apparent that systems and/or methods described herein may be implemented in different forms of hardware, firmware, and/or a combination of hardware and software. The actual specialized control hardware or software code used to implement these systems and/or methods is not limiting of the aspects. Thus, the operation and behavior of the systems and/or methods were described herein without reference to specific software code—it being understood that software and hardware can be designed to implement the systems and/or methods based, at least in part, on the description herein. 
     Even though particular combinations of features are recited in the claims and/or disclosed in the specification, these combinations are not intended to limit the disclosure of various aspects. In fact, many of these features may be combined in ways not specifically recited in the claims and/or disclosed in the specification. Although each dependent claim listed below may directly depend on only one claim, the disclosure of various aspects includes each dependent claim in combination with every other claim in the claim set. A phrase referring to “at least one of” a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. As an example, “at least one of: a, b, or c” is intended to cover a, b, c, a-b, a-c, b-c, and a-b-c, as well as any combination with multiples of the same element (e.g., a-a, a-a-a, a-a-b, a-a-c, a-b-b, a-c-c, b-b, b-b-b, b-b-c, c-c, and c-c-c or any other ordering of a, b, and c). 
     No element, act, or instruction used herein should be construed as critical or essential unless explicitly described as such. Also, as used herein, the articles “a” and “an” are intended to include one or more items, and may be used interchangeably with “one or more.” Furthermore, as used herein, the terms “set” and “group” are intended to include one or more items (e.g., related items, unrelated items, a combination of related and unrelated items, and/or the like), and may be used interchangeably with “one or more.” Where only one item is intended, the phrase “only one” or similar language is used. Also, as used herein, the terms “has,” “have,” “having,” and/or the like are intended to be open-ended terms. Further, the phrase “based on” is intended to mean “based, at least in part, on” unless explicitly stated otherwise.