Patent Description:
The following abbreviations are herewith defined, at least some of which are referred to within the following description: Third Generation Partnership Project ("3GPP"), Positive-Acknowledgment ("ACK"), Binary Phase Shift Keying ("BPSK"), Clear Channel Assessment ("CCA"), Cyclic Prefix ("CP"), Channel State Information ("CSI"), Common Search Space ("CSS"), Downlink Control Information ("DCI"), Downlink ("DL"), Downlink Pilot Time Slot ("DwPTS"), Enhanced Clear Channel Assessment ("eCCA"), Evolved Node B ("eNB"), European Telecommunications Standards Institute ("ETSI"), Frame Based Equipment ("FBE"), Frequency Division Duplex ("FDD"), Frequency Division Multiple Access ("FDMA"), Guard Period ("GP"), Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request ("HARQ"), Licensed Assisted Access ("LAA"), Load Based Equipment ("LBE"), Listen-Before-Talk ("LBT"), Long Term Evolution ("LTE"), Machine Type Communication ("MTC"), Multiple Input Multiple Output ("MIMO"), Multi User Shared Access ("MUSA"), Negative-Acknowledgment ("NACK") or ("NAK"), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing ("OFDM"), Primary Cell ("PCell"), Physical Broadcast Channel ("PBCH"), Physical Downlink Control Channel ("PDCCH"), Physical Downlink Shared Channel ("PDSCH"), Pattern Division Multiple Access ("PDMA"), Physical Hybrid ARQ Indicator Channel ("PHICH"), Physical Random Access Channel ("PRACH"), Physical Resource Block ("PRB"), Physical Uplink Control Channel ("PUCCH"), Physical Uplink Shared Channel ("PUSCH"), Quality of Service ("QoS"), Quadrature Phase Shift Keying ("QPSK"), Radio Resource Control ("RRC"), Random Access Procedure ("RACH"), Resource Spread Multiple Access ("RSMA"), Round Trip Time ("RTT"), Receive ("RX"), Sparse Code Multiple Access ("SCMA"), Scheduling Request ("SR"), Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access ("SC-FDMA"), Secondary Cell ("SCell"), Shared Channel ("SCH"), Signal-to-Interference-Plus-Noise Ratio ("SINR"), System Information Block ("SIB"), Transport Block ("TB"), Transport Block Size ("TBS"), Time-Division Duplex ("TDD"), Time Division Multiplex ("TDM"), Transmission Time Interval ("TTI"), Transmit ("TX"), Uplink Control Information ("UCI"), User Entity/Equipment (Mobile Terminal) ("UE"), Uplink ("UL"), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System ("UMTS"), Uplink Pilot Time Slot ("UpPTS"), Ultra-reliable and Low-latency Communications ("URLLC"), and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access ("WiMAX"). As used herein, "HARQ-ACK" may represent collectively the Positive Acknowledge ("ACK") and the Negative Acknowledge ("NAK"). ACK means that a TB is correctly received while NAK means a TB is erroneously received.

In certain wireless communications networks, to avoid resource collision in uplink communication, the networks adopt orthogonal multiple access ("OMA"). The networks may also use scheduling-based uplink transmission so that the orthogonal resources are assigned for different UEs. Moreover, any uplink communication (e.g., except PRACH) may be scheduled and/or controlled by an eNB. As compared to OMA, non-orthogonal multiple access ("NOMA") may support signal superposition in an orthogonal resource. Accordingly, NOMA may enhance spectrum utilization efficiency, such as in cases of overloaded transmission. Moreover, since NOMA may separate superposed signals at the receiver by using more advanced algorithms, NOMA may support reliable and low latency grant-free transmission. Such transmission may be used for massive MTC and/or URLLC.

In some configurations, there may be no clear difference between autonomous, grant-free, and/or contention based UL transmission. In certain configurations, contention based UL transmission may include autonomous, grant-free, and/or grant-less transmission.

In configurations that use NOMA, (e.g., SCMA, MUSA/RSMA, PDMA) different UEs may be differentiated by different spare codewords, scrambling codes, and/or transmitting vectors transmitted by UEs and then combined through a channel, so that a receiver may separate the superposed signals by using advanced algorithms (e.g., message passing algorithm ("MPA") for SCMA and PDMA, successive interference cancellation ("SIC") for MUSA and PDMA, and matching filter ("MF") for RSMA). Certain receiver algorithms may have better performance at the cost of more complexity. Considering that an eNB may be able to handle higher complexity than a UE, NOMA may be better for uplink transmission than downlink transmission. When NOMA is combined with UL grant-less/contention based transmission, it may support reliable and low latency UL transmission, which may be used for massive MTC and URLLC.

Nevertheless, if the grant-less UL transmission is directly introduced, it may result in problems with eNB reception due to the eNB not being aware of time-frequency resources, a modulation and coding scheme ("MCS"), HARQ process identification ("ID"), redundancy version ("RV"), and/or new data indicator ("NDI"), and so forth for a transmitting UE. Without the information of time-frequency resources, the eNB may blindly detect each possibility of resource usage. Such blind detection may result in excessive complexity and may use too much processing time. Moreover, without MCS information, an eNB may not be able to decode received data. Furthermore, without information corresponding to HARQ process ID, RV, and NDI, an eNB may not be able to differentiate whether the received data is retransmitted data, is new data, corresponds to a particular HARQ process, and/or corresponds to a particular RV.

<CIT> discloses a non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) scheme data receiving method.

<CIT> relates to a variety of hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) methods, data buffering methods therefor, and apparatuses supporting the methods, in a wireless access system supporting a non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) scheme.

<NPL> discusses enhancements to PUCCH for UL CoMP.

In a first aspect, there is provided a method according to claim <NUM>.

In further aspect, there is provided a method according to claim <NUM>.

In further aspect, there is provided an apparatus according to claim <NUM>.

These code may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified in the schematic flowchart diagrams and/or schematic block diagrams block or blocks.

<FIG> depicts an embodiment of a wireless communication system <NUM> for non-orthogonal communication. In one embodiment, the wireless communication system <NUM> includes remote units <NUM> and base units <NUM>. Even though a specific number of remote units <NUM> and base units <NUM> are depicted in <FIG>, one of skill in the art will recognize that any number of remote units <NUM> and base units <NUM> may be included in the wireless communication system <NUM>.

The base units <NUM> may be distributed over a geographic region. In certain embodiments, a base unit <NUM> may also be referred to as an access point, an access terminal, a base, a base station, a Node-B, an eNB, a Home Node-B, a relay node, a device, or by any other terminology used in the art. The base units <NUM> are generally part of a radio access network that includes one or more controllers communicably coupled to one or more corresponding base units <NUM>.

In one implementation, the wireless communication system <NUM> is compliant with the LTE of the 3GPP protocol, wherein the base unit <NUM> transmits using an OFDM modulation scheme on the DL and the remote units <NUM> transmit on the UL using a SC-FDMA scheme. More generally, however, the wireless communication system <NUM> may implement some other open or proprietary communication protocol, for example, WiMAX, among other protocols.

In one embodiment, a base unit <NUM> may transmit a first signal to a first device for indicating a first resource in a control region of a carrier bandwidth. The first resource may be used by the first device for transmitting first control information, and the first control information may include first non-orthogonal layer information. The base unit <NUM> may receive the first control information from the first resource. The base unit <NUM> may also receive first data in a data region of the carrier bandwidth. The data region may include multiple non-orthogonal layers. The base unit <NUM> may decode the first control information. The base unit <NUM> may also decode the first data based on the first control information. Accordingly, a base unit <NUM> may receive non-orthogonal communication.

In another embodiment, a remote unit <NUM> may receive a signal for indicating a resource in a control region of a carrier bandwidth. The resource may be used to transmit control information, and the control information may include non-orthogonal layer information. The remote unit <NUM> may generate the control information and data corresponding to the control information. The remote unit <NUM> may also transmit the control information on the resource. The remote unit <NUM> may transmit the data in a data region of the carrier bandwidth. The data region may include multiple non-orthogonal layers. Accordingly, a remote unit <NUM> may transmit non-orthogonal communication.

<FIG> depicts one embodiment of an apparatus <NUM> that may be used for non-orthogonal communication. The apparatus <NUM> includes one embodiment of the remote unit <NUM>. Furthermore, the remote unit <NUM> may include a processor <NUM>, a memory <NUM>, an input device <NUM>, a display <NUM>, a transmitter <NUM>, and a receiver <NUM>. In some embodiments, the input device <NUM> and the display <NUM> are combined into a single device, such as a touchscreen. In certain embodiments, the remote unit <NUM> may not include any input device <NUM> and/or display <NUM>. In various embodiments, the remote unit <NUM> may include one or more of the processor <NUM>, the memory <NUM>, the transmitter <NUM>, and the receiver <NUM>, and may not include the input device <NUM> and/or the display <NUM>.

In certain embodiments, the processor <NUM> may generate control information and data corresponding to the control information.

In some embodiments, the memory <NUM> stores data relating to an indication to be provided to another device.

The transmitter <NUM> is used to provide UL communication signals to the base unit <NUM> and the receiver <NUM> is used to receive DL communication signals from the base unit <NUM>. In one embodiment, the transmitter <NUM> is used to transmit control information on a resource, and transmit data in a data region of a carrier bandwidth. The data region may include multiple non-orthogonal layers. In certain embodiments, the receiver <NUM> may be used to receive a signal for indicating a resource in a control region of a carrier bandwidth. The resource may be used to transmit control information, and the control information may include non-orthogonal layer information.

<FIG> depicts one embodiment of an apparatus <NUM> that may be used for non-orthogonal communication. The apparatus <NUM> includes one embodiment of the base unit <NUM>. Furthermore, the base unit <NUM> may include a processor <NUM>, a memory <NUM>, an input device <NUM>, a display <NUM>, a transmitter <NUM>, and a receiver <NUM>. As may be appreciated, the processor <NUM>, the memory <NUM>, the input device <NUM>, and the display <NUM> may be substantially similar to the processor <NUM>, the memory <NUM>, the input device <NUM>, and the display <NUM> of the remote unit <NUM>, respectively.

The processor <NUM> may be used to decode first control information, and to decode first data based on the first control information. The transmitter <NUM> may also be used to transmit a first signal to a first device for indicating a first resource in a control region of a carrier bandwidth. The first resource may be used by the first device for transmitting first control information, and the first control information may include first non-orthogonal layer information. The receiver <NUM> may be used to receive first control information from a first resource, and receive first data in a data region of a carrier bandwidth. The data region may include multiple non-orthogonal layers. Although only one transmitter <NUM> and one receiver <NUM> are illustrated, the base unit <NUM> may have any suitable number of transmitters <NUM> and receivers <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates one embodiment of communications <NUM> for non-orthogonal communication. Specifically, communications <NUM> between a UE <NUM> and an eNB <NUM> are illustrated. A first communication <NUM> may include configuration information transmitted from the eNB <NUM> and received by the UE <NUM>. In some embodiments, the configuration information is indicated by RRC signaling. The configuration information may include an indication of a resource to be used for transmissions, among other things.

In certain embodiments, such as in embodiments using NOMA and/or UL grant-less transmission (e.g., for massive MTC ("mMTC") and URLLC), the system bandwidth may be pre-allocated and/or allocated with some region for mMTC or URLLC. For the bandwidth allocated for mMTC or URLLC, it may be partitioned into several subchannels that may have an equal bandwidth for each subchannel. Various examples are illustrated in <FIG>. The bandwidth, a concrete position in a frequency domain and/or a concrete position in a time domain may be configured by RRC signaling. To avoid resource fragmentation, the bandwidth for mMTC or URLLC may be contiguous in the frequency domain. In certain embodiments, a remaining part of the system bandwidth may be used for enhanced mobile broadband ("eMBB"). Moreover, in some embodiments, a filter is added to avoid inter-carrier interference ("ICI").

The bandwidth for each subchannel may be fixed in a specification and/or configured by RRC signaling. The bandwidths for each subchannel may be approximately (e.g., close but not necessarily exact) the same. Similarly, the duration for one subchannel in the time domain may be fixed in a specification and/or configured by RRC signaling. In one embodiment, one subchannel may have a fixed and/or preconfigured number of PRBs or REs in the frequency domain and/or a fixed or preconfigured number of symbols in the time domain.

A second communication <NUM> includes control information (e.g., uplink control information ("UCI")) transmitted from the UE <NUM> (e.g., remote unit <NUM>) and received by the eNB <NUM> (e.g., base unit <NUM>). In various embodiments, the control information may include a subchannel index, a number of subchannels, a hybrid automatic repeat request process identification, a new data indicator, a redundancy version, a modulation and coding scheme, a non-orthogonal layer index, and/or a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgment. A third communication <NUM> may include data transmitted from the UE <NUM> to the eNB <NUM>.

Each subchannel may be shared by multiple UEs within the framework of NOMA. Moreover, one or more subchannels may be occupied by one UE based on the amount of UL data and/or predefined algorithm in UE. In some embodiments, a transmitted TB on each subchannel is independent from the others subchannels if one UE occupies several subchannels.

In various embodiments, the UCI for one transmitted TB is independent to the UCI for another transmitted TB (e.g., see <FIG>, <FIG>). In such embodiments, at the eNB <NUM> detection is processed in a unit of one subchannel. In some embodiment, only one TB is transmitted for a UE if the UE occupies more than one subchannels (e.g., see <FIG>). In such an embodiment, the associated UCI may include the information of which subchannels are occupied by data. In one embodiment, a subchannel index that indicates occupied subchannels may be included in UCI. In another embodiment, a number of occupied subchannels may be included in the UCI and an index of the starting subchannel may also be included in the UCI.

In each subchannel, UL data may be transmitted with associated UCI. Moreover, the UCI may include information indicating one or more of a subchannel index (e.g., indicating a starting subchannel for data and/or specific subchannels including data), a number of subchannels, a hybrid automatic repeat request process identification, a new data indicator, a redundancy version, a modulation and coding scheme, a non-orthogonal layer index, and/or a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgment. The non-orthogonal layer index (or layer information for UL NOMA) may include any suitable information for indicating a layer on which data is to be transmitted. For example, the non-orthogonal layer index may correspond to a SCMA codeword if SCMA is used, a non-orthogonal complex spreading code index if MUSA or RSMA is used, a PDMA pattern index if PDMA is used, and so forth. In non-orthogonal multiple access, a set of resources comprising multiple resources in time domain and/or frequency domain can include multiple non-orthogonal layers and each layer is used for a user for data transmission. The layer may be distinguished by a predefined PDMA pattern vector in embodiments using PDMA, a SCMA codeword in embodiments using SCMA, or a scrambling code in embodiments using MUSA or RSMA.

In one embodiment, a SCMA codeword index may correspond to a SCMA codeword from a SCMA codebook. A SCMA codeword may be one column vector of a SCMA codebook and may be used to indicate available resources for data transmission by "<NUM>"s in the SCMA codeword. For example, if there are four resources for data transmission, a codeword of (<NUM><NUM><NUM><NUM>)T may indicate that a first and third resource of the four resources are used for data transmission, wherein "T" means transpose. As another example, if there are four resources for data transmission, a codeword of (<NUM><NUM><NUM><NUM>)T may indicate that a first and second resource of the four resources are used for data transmission. Moreover, in some embodiments, a PDMA pattern of (<NUM><NUM><NUM><NUM>)T may indicate that the first resource of four resources is used for data transmission, a pattern of (<NUM><NUM><NUM><NUM>)T may indicate that the first two resources of four resources are used for data transmission, and a pattern of (<NUM><NUM><NUM><NUM>)T may indicate that the first three resources of four resources are used for data transmission. In various embodiments, content of UCI may be dependent on a concrete design of multiplexing of UL data and associated UCI as well as a used NOMA scheme.

There may be many different options for multiplexing UL data and its associated UCI for a given UE in a grant-less mode.

In one embodiment, UCI and its associated data are included in each subchannel and multiplexed in the time domain. A number of symbols for the UCI may be fixed in a specification and/or configured by RRC signaling. This embodiment is illustrated in <FIG>.

In another embodiment, UCI and its associated data are included in each subchannel and multiplexed in the frequency domain. A bandwidth of the UCI may include a fixed and/or preconfigured number of PRBs or REs in the frequency domain. This embodiment is illustrated in <FIG>.

In a further embodiment, UCI and its associated data are multiplexed in the frequency domain but UCI is not included in the data subchannels. The bandwidth of the UCI region (e.g., control region) in the frequency domain may have a fixed and/or a preconfigured number of PRBs or REs. This embodiment is illustrated in <FIG>. In this embodiment, the UCI information may indicate a subchannel index corresponding to a first and/or last subchannel for associated UL data transmission.

There may also be many different options for transmission of UL data and associated UCI for a given UE in grant-less mode.

In one embodiment, UCI and its associated UL data are both transmitted with a same NOMA scheme and on a same NOMA layer (e.g., a same SCMA codeword in embodiments in which SCMA is used, a same non-orthogonal complex spreading code in embodiments in which MUSA is used, a same PDMA pattern in embodiments in which PDMA is used, and so forth).

In another embodiment, UCI and its associated UL data are both transmitted with a same NOMA scheme, but on different NOMA layers. Because UCI transmission may use higher reliability than UL data, the UCI transmission may use a NOMA layer with a higher reliability than a NOMA layer used for UL data. For example, if SCMA is used, a SCMA codeword with low interference from other layers may be used for UCI while a SCMA codeword with high interference from other layers may be used for UL data associated with the UCI. As another example, if PDMA is used, a PDMA pattern with a high transmission diversity gain may be used for UCI while a PDMA pattern with low transmission diversity gain may be used for UL data associated with the UCI.

In a further embodiment, UCI and its associated UL data may be transmitted with different NOMA schemes. For example, in one embodiment, UCI transmission may use a NOMA scheme with a simpler detection algorithm to facilitate quickly decoding control information, while UL data transmission may use other more complicated NOMA schemes with more advanced detection algorithm to improve the combined performance. In one embodiment, UCI transmission may use RSMA while its associated UL data transmission may use SCMA, MUSA, or PDMA. Therefore, the eNB <NUM> may quickly decode UCI information then detect data associated with the UCI information based on the decoded UCI information.

In certain embodiments, UCI transmission may use an orthogonal resource to avoid collision with other UEs and its associated UL data transmission may use a NOMA scheme for grant-less transmission.

In various embodiments, a UE in a grant-less mode may be configured by the eNB <NUM> with a PUCCH resource index corresponding to one of the PUCCH resources when it enters the grant-less mode.

In one embodiment, a UCI and its associated data may be multiplexed in the frequency domain regardless of whether they are in the same subchannel (e.g., as shown in <FIG>) or not in the same subchannel (e.g., as shown in <FIG>). In certain embodiments, assume four consecutive PRBs in a frequency domain may be aggregated as one resource unit for data transmission on PUSCH and another one PRB may be used to transmit associated UCI on PUCCH. Using NOMA, the four PRBs may support a maximum of <NUM> UEs' UL data multiplexing with an overloading factor equal to <NUM>%. The one PRB for UCI transmission may be used to transmit PUCCH format <NUM> because PUCCH format <NUM> may support up to <NUM> information bits for one UE and up to <NUM> UEs' UCI multiplexing in one PRB so as to support up to <NUM> UEs' PUSCHs multiplexing in one subchannel by NOMA.

In another embodiment, UCI and its associated data may be multiplexed in the time domain (e.g., as shown in <FIG>). For example, one-symbol PUCCH may be used in this embodiment so that the UCI part including several symbols may provide multiple PUCCH resources. The concrete number of PUCCH resources may be dependent on the number of symbols configured for the UCI part and the number of PRBs configured for each subchannel. In this way, orthogonal resources may be configured for a UE for UCI transmission and non-orthogonal resource may be used for its associated UL data transmission.

To reduce a UCI payload size, layer-specific information for UL NOMA (e.g., a SCMA codebook index if SCMA is used, non-orthogonal complex spreading code index if MUSA is used, a PDMA pattern index if PDMA is used) may not be necessary to be included in the UCI and may be implicitly derived from a PUCCH resource index. In one embodiment, the PUCCH resource may be linked with the SCMA codeword (e.g., a PUCCH resource index is equal to SCMA codeword index). This may be feasible when one PRB is used to transmit PUCCH format <NUM> to provide up to <NUM> UEs' UCI multiplexing and four PRBs are used to convey up to <NUM> UEs' UL data by SCMA. Then a one-to-one mapping between a SCMA codeword index and a PUCCH resource index may be established. In certain embodiments, a SCMA codeword index may be derived from a PUCCH resource index mod the number of SCMA codewords. In one example, a UCI table without UL NOMA layer-specific information may be used as found in Table <NUM>.

In this way, the NR system using NOMA and grant-less/contention-based UL transmission may operate.

<FIG> illustrates one embodiment of non-orthogonal uplink transmissions <NUM>. Specifically, UCI <NUM> and data <NUM> are transmitted in a first subchannel <NUM> and have an allocated bandwidth in the frequency domain. Moreover, the UCI <NUM> is transmitted in a control region <NUM>, and the data <NUM> is transmitted in a data region <NUM>. The control region <NUM> and the data region <NUM> occupy a TTI <NUM> in the time domain.

A UCI <NUM> and data <NUM> are transmitted in a second subchannel <NUM> and have the allocated bandwidth in the frequency domain. Furthermore, a UCI <NUM> and data <NUM> are transmitted in a third subchannel <NUM> and have the allocated bandwidth in the frequency domain.

<FIG> is a schematic block diagram illustrating another embodiment of non-orthogonal uplink transmissions <NUM>. Specifically, UCI <NUM> and data <NUM> are transmitted in a first subchannel <NUM> and have an allocated bandwidth in the frequency domain. The UCI <NUM> and the data <NUM> each occupy a TTI <NUM> in the time domain. Moreover, the UCI <NUM> is transmitted in a control region <NUM> of the allocated bandwidth in the frequency domain (as well as other UCIs), and the data <NUM> is transmitted in a data region <NUM> of the allocated bandwidth in the frequency domain (as well as other data).

<FIG> is a schematic block diagram illustrating a further embodiment of non-orthogonal uplink transmissions <NUM>. Specifically, UCI <NUM> is transmitted in a control region <NUM> occupying a TTI <NUM> in the time domain. Moreover, data <NUM> is transmitted in a first subchannel <NUM> having an allocated bandwidth in the frequency domain. The data <NUM> also occupies the TTI <NUM> in the time domain.

Data <NUM> is transmitted in a second subchannel <NUM> and has the allocated bandwidth in the frequency domain. Furthermore, data <NUM> is transmitted in a third subchannel <NUM> and has the allocated bandwidth in the frequency domain. The data <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> occupy a data region.

<FIG> is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method <NUM> for non-orthogonal communication. In some embodiments, the method <NUM> is performed by an apparatus, such as the base unit <NUM>. In certain embodiments, the method <NUM> may be performed by a processor executing program code, for example, a microcontroller, a microprocessor, a CPU, a GPU, an auxiliary processing unit, a FPGA, or the like.

The method <NUM> may include transmitting <NUM> a first signal to a first device for indicating a first resource in a control region of a carrier bandwidth. In such an embodiment, the first resource may be used by the first device for transmitting first control information, and the first control information may include first non-orthogonal layer information. The method <NUM> also includes receiving <NUM> the first control information from the first resource. The method <NUM> includes receiving <NUM> first data in a data region of the carrier bandwidth. In such a method <NUM>, the data region may include multiple non-orthogonal layers. The method <NUM> also includes decoding <NUM> the first control information. The method <NUM> includes decoding <NUM> the first data based on the first control information.

In one embodiment, the method <NUM> includes transmitting a second signal to a second device for indicating a second resource in the control region of the carrier bandwidth. In such embodiments, the second resource may be used by the second device for transmitting second control information, and the second control information may include second non-orthogonal layer information. In a further embodiment, the method <NUM> includes receiving the second control information from the second resource, and receiving second data in the data region of the carrier bandwidth. In such embodiments, the first data and the second data may be received on different non-orthogonal layers. In such embodiments, the processor may decode the second control information, and may decode the second data based on the second control information. In certain embodiments, the first resource and the second resource are different.

<FIG> is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method <NUM> for non-orthogonal communication. In some embodiments, the method <NUM> is performed by an apparatus, such as the remote unit <NUM>. In certain embodiments, the method <NUM> may be performed by a processor executing program code, for example, a microcontroller, a microprocessor, a CPU, a GPU, an auxiliary processing unit, a FPGA, or the like.

Claim 1:
A method performed by an apparatus comprising:
transmitting (<NUM>) a first signal to a first device (<NUM>) for indicating a first resource in a control region of a carrier bandwidth, wherein the first resource is used by the first device (<NUM>) for transmitting first control information, and the first control information comprises first non-orthogonal layer information;
receiving (<NUM>) the first control information from the first resource;
receiving (<NUM>) first data in a data region of the carrier bandwidth, wherein the data region comprises multiple non-orthogonal layers;
decoding (<NUM>) the first control information; and
decoding (<NUM>) the first data based on the first control information; wherein
the first resource and the data region are on different non-orthogonal layers.