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"), Cyclical Redundancy Check ("CRC"), Channel State Information ("CSI"), Common Search Space ("CSS"), Discrete Fourier Transform Spread ("DFTS"), Downlink Control Information ("DCI"), Downlink ("DL"), Downlink Pilot Time Slot ("DwPTS"), Enhanced Clear Channel Assessment ("eCCA"), Enhanced Mobile Broadband ("eMBB"), Evolved Node B ("eNB"), European Telecommunications Standards Institute ("ETSI"), Frame Based Equipment ("FBE"), Frequency Division Duplex ("FDD"), Frequency Division Multiple Access ("FDMA"), Frequency Division Orthogonal Cover Code ("FD-OCC"), Guard Period ("GP"), Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request ("HARQ"), Internet-of-Things ("IoT"), Licensed Assisted Access ("LAA"), Load Based Equipment ("LBE"), Listen-Before-Talk ("LBT"), Long Term Evolution ("LTE"), Multiple Access ("MA"), Modulation Coding Scheme ("MCS"), Machine Type Communication ("MTC"), Multiple Input Multiple Output ("MIMO"), Multi User Shared Access ("MUSA"), Narrowband ("NB"), Negative-Acknowledgment ("NACK") or ("NAK"), Next Generation Node B ("gNB"), Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access ("NOMA"), 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"), Resource Element ("RE"), Radio Resource Control ("RRC"), Random Access Procedure ("RACH"), Random Access Response ("RAR"), Radio Link Failure ("RLF"), Radio Network Temporary Identifier ("RNTI"), Reference Signal ("RS"), Remaining Minimum System Information ("RMSI"), Resource Spread Multiple Access ("RSMA"), Reference Signal Received Power ("RSRP"), 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"), Synchronization Signal ("SS"), Transport Block ("TB"), Transport Block Size ("TBS"), Time-Division Duplex ("TDD"), Time Division Multiplex ("TDM"), Time Division Orthogonal Cover Code ("TD-OCC"), 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-reliability 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 ("NACK"). ACK means that a TB is correctly received while NACK (or NAK) means a TB is erroneously received.

In certain wireless communications networks, UCI may be multiplexed with a PUSCH. In such networks, a variety of multiplexing options may be used.

Submission <NPL>, reviews the LTE Rel-<NUM> design for UCI multiplexing in PUSCH, discusses its shortcomings, and considers remedies for NR. Among the proposals made is that "Simultaneous UL data channel and UL control channel transmissions from a UE are supported without additional conditions and based on indication by the UL DCI format scheduling the UL data channel.

<CIT> concerns an intelligent antenna under DTX or HSDPA mode, and a relative device, wherein the method comprises that (<NUM>), judging if the system setting is ascending DTX or HSDPA mode, (<NUM>), according to user ascending signal information, calculating out beam shaping weighting value of current user special channel, (<NUM>), judging if the distance between ascending and descending time is over a time threshold value, (<NUM>), current beam shaping weighting value uses the beam shaping weighting value of public channel, (<NUM>), judging if current time has user ascending signal, (<NUM>), the current beam shaping weighting value uses the history service beam weighting value of last time, (<NUM>), according to the beam shaping weighting value, realizing descending beam shaping. The invention can effectively adapt the real0-time change of wireless channel, improve the intelligent antenna property of ascending DTX or HSDPA mode, and improve system stability and reliability.

Submission <NPL>, discusses the multiplexing of slot-based long PUSCH/PUCCH with mini-slot based short PUSCH/PUCCH and related UE behaviours.

Submission <NPL>, discusses UCI piggybacking on PUSCH, and PUCCH/PUSCH multiplexing.

It will be appreciated that the embodiments described below with reference to <FIG> and <FIG> are not claimed and are for illustration purposes.

<FIG> depicts an embodiment of a wireless communication system <NUM> for transmitting and/or receiving an indication for a transmission scheme. 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>.

In one embodiment, the remote units <NUM> may include computing devices, such as desktop computers, laptop computers, personal digital assistants ("PDAs"), tablet computers, smart phones, smart televisions (e.g., televisions connected to the Internet), set-top boxes, game consoles, security systems (including security cameras), vehicle on-board computers, network devices (e.g., routers, switches, modems), aerial vehicles, drones, or the like.

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 gNB, a Home Node-B, a relay node, a device, a core network, an aerial server, 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 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 or an OFDM 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 remote unit <NUM> may determine a transmission scheme for transmitting a first channel. In certain embodiments, the remote unit <NUM> may transmit an indication of the transmission scheme to a base unit <NUM>. In such embodiments, the indication may be based on the transmission scheme. Accordingly, a remote unit <NUM> may be used for transmitting an indication for a transmission scheme.

In another embodiment, a remote unit <NUM> may determine a duration between an uplink transmission and a downlink transmission. In some embodiments, the remote unit <NUM> may compare the duration to a threshold duration. In various embodiments, the remote unit <NUM> may determine a transmission scheme for transmitting a channel based on the comparison between the duration and the threshold duration. Accordingly, a remote unit <NUM> may be used for determining a transmission scheme.

In one embodiment, a base unit <NUM> may receive an indication of a transmission scheme from a remote unit <NUM>. In such an embodiment, the indication may be based on the transmission scheme, and the transmission scheme may be for the remote unit <NUM> transmitting a first channel. Accordingly, a base unit <NUM> may be used for receiving an indication for a transmission scheme.

In another embodiment, a base unit <NUM> may determine a duration between an uplink transmission and a downlink transmission. In some embodiments, the base unit <NUM> may compare the duration to a threshold duration. In various embodiments, the base unit <NUM> may determine a transmission scheme for a remote unit <NUM> transmitting a channel based on the comparison between the duration and the threshold duration. Accordingly, a base unit <NUM> may be used for determining a transmission scheme.

<FIG> depicts one embodiment of an apparatus <NUM> that may be used for transmitting an indication for a transmission scheme. 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 determine a transmission scheme for transmitting a first channel. In some embodiments, the processor <NUM> may determine a duration between an uplink transmission and a downlink transmission. In various embodiments, the processor <NUM> may compare the duration to a threshold duration. In certain embodiments, the processor <NUM> may determine a transmission scheme for transmitting a channel based on the comparison between the duration and the threshold duration.

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> may be used to transmit an indication of a transmission scheme to a base unit <NUM>. In such an embodiment, the indication may be based on the transmission scheme.

In some embodiments, in terms of the remote unit <NUM> implementation, puncturing may be preferred over rate matching from the processor's <NUM> perspective because the processor <NUM> may start to prepare UL data without considering whether and how many UCI bits need to be multiplexed with PUSCH. In certain embodiments, in an RE mapping stage, the remote unit <NUM> only needs to puncture the REs for UCI bits. However, the performance (e.g., reliability) may be degraded compared with rate-matching.

In embodiments that use rate matching, the performance (e.g., reliability) may be better than embodiments that use puncturing; however, rate matching uses higher remote unit <NUM> processing capability. In some embodiments, a number of UCI bits and a number of REs may be indicated to the remote unit <NUM> as early to facilitate channel encoding procedures. In various embodiments, HARQ-ACK feedback and UL scheduling timelines may be flexible. In such embodiments, if a DL scheduling command arrives late compared with an UL grant (e.g., K0=<NUM> to achieve self-contain operation, in other words, DL scheduling and HARQ-ACK feedback occur in one slot), depending on remote unit <NUM> processing capability, UL TB preparation may be impacted with the consequence that an UL grant timeline may not be able to be achieved. Accordingly, remote unit <NUM> behavior may be impacted in certain conditions even if a base unit <NUM> is able to provide definite instructions to the remote unit <NUM> regarding using rate-matching.

In certain embodiments, two options may be used to handle remote unit <NUM> behavior: <NUM>) use an indication from the remote unit <NUM> to tell the base unit <NUM> a remote unit <NUM> behavior on how to handle UCI multiplexing with PUSCH (this can avoid unnecessary ambiguity between the remote unit <NUM> and the base unit <NUM>); and/or <NUM>) remote unit <NUM> behavior for puncturing and/or rate matching may depend on a time interval (e.g., a time interval between a PUSCH transmission instance when multiplexing occurs and a PDSCH transmission, such as a PDSCH transmission corresponding to a HARQ-ACK in UCI). In such embodiments, if the time interval is larger than a threshold, rate matching may be used by the remote unit <NUM> and assumed by the base unit <NUM>. Otherwise, puncturing may be used by the remote unit <NUM> and assumed by the base unit <NUM>. The threshold may be configured by the base unit <NUM> and/or may be predefined (e.g., fixed in a specification).

In some embodiments, UCI is multiplexed with a PUSCH transmission in situations in which no PUCCH is configured in a certain slot for a certain remote unit <NUM>. In certain embodiments, HARQ-ACK is punctured due to a possible PDCCH misdirection ambiguity. In certain embodiments, UL TB encoding and RE mapping procedures may not take into account whether there is a valid DL scheduling and whether there needs to be feedback (e.g., HARQ-ACK). In such embodiments, CSI may be rate matched.

In various embodiments, one or more of the following may be used: <NUM>) for UCI multiplexed with PUSCH, puncturing may be used; <NUM>) for UCI multiplexed with PUSCH, rate-matching may be used; <NUM>) for UCI multiplexed with PUSCH, puncturing may be used if HARQ-ACK bits are up to <NUM> bits, otherwise rate matching may be used; <NUM>) it is indicated in an UL grant whether puncturing or rate matching is used for UCI multiplexing with PUSCH; and <NUM>) it is up to a remote unit <NUM> implementation to determine whether puncturing or rate matching is used. In the remote unit <NUM> implementation, the base unit <NUM> may need to do blind detection to identify whether puncturing or rate matching is used.

In some embodiments, even though rate matching may be preferred over puncturing (rate matching may be indicated by the base unit <NUM> or predetermined, such as by being fixed in a specification), a remote unit <NUM> implementation of determining whether rate matching or puncturing is used may be beneficial because other implementations may fail to prepare an UL transmission rate matching around UCI REs within a required processing timeline. Such a remote unit <NUM> implementation may consider many factors such as that MIMO CSI measurement may occupy some processing resources, and also that DL and UL transmission modes and TB size may impact whether a remote unit <NUM> may successfully use rate matching. In contrast, a base unit <NUM> may not be able to foresee the remote unit <NUM> behavior. Therefore, a remote unit <NUM> may indicate to a base unit <NUM> how transmission of a first channel (e.g., UCI) is handled. In some embodiments, the remote unit <NUM> may handle transmission of a channel using one or more of the following transmission schemes: a second channel (e.g., PUSCH) is transmitted and rate matched around a first channel (e.g., REs carrying UCI bits); the second channel is transmitted and punctured by the first channel; only the first channel is transmitted (e.g., in PUSCH) and the second channel is not transmitted; the second channel is transmitted and punctured by some REs which include a remote unit <NUM> behavior indication rather than carrying the first channel; and only the second channel is transmitted.

In certain embodiments, an indicator may be explicitly used in the first channel to indicate puncturing, rate matching status, and/or dropping of the second channel. For example, an indicator may be encoded and carried in the first channel. As another example, an indicator may be used as mask in a CRC of first channel encoding. In some embodiments, lack of an explicit indicator may indicate that only the second channel is transmitted.

By using an indicator provided from the remote unit <NUM> to the base unit <NUM>, the behavior of the remote unit <NUM> may be clearly indicated to the base unit <NUM>. Accordingly, by having the indicator from the remote unit <NUM>, the base unit <NUM> may eliminate possible ambiguity that occurs by the base unit <NUM> using blind detection thereby reducing performance loss and/or an increased burden on the base unit <NUM>. In some embodiments, the base unit <NUM> may decode a first channel payload first, and then use an indication carried in the first channel to determine second channel decoding.

In certain embodiments, an indicator may be implicit. For example, behavior of the remote unit <NUM> may be determined based on a comparison between a duration (e.g., time interval) and a duration threshold (e.g., time interval threshold). In some embodiments, the duration may be between an uplink transmission (e.g., PUSCH, UCI) such as when multiplexing happens and a downlink transmission (e.g., PDSCH corresponding to HARQ-ACK in UCI). In various embodiments, the duration may be from an uplink transmission (e.g., PUSCH, UCI) such as when multiplexing happens to a downlink transmission (e.g., PDCCH) working as a trigger (e.g., an aperiodic CSI trigger) and may correspond to the CSI feedback in the UCI. In certain embodiments, the duration may be a duration between an uplink scheduling transmission and a downlink scheduling transmission. In some embodiments, the duration may be a duration between an uplink scheduling transmission and an aperiodic CSI triggering in a PDCCH transmission. In various embodiments, if the duration is larger than the threshold duration, which means that the remote unit <NUM> may have sufficient time to do rate matching, rate matching is used by the remote unit <NUM> and assumed by the base unit <NUM>. In some embodiments, if the duration is not larger than the threshold duration, which means the DL scheduling comes too late for the remote unit <NUM> to make preparations for rate matching, puncturing is used by the remote unit <NUM> and assumed by the base unit <NUM>. In certain embodiments, the threshold duration may be configured by the base unit. In various embodiments, the threshold duration may be predetermined (e.g., fixed in a specification, hard coded, etc.).

<FIG> depicts one embodiment of an apparatus <NUM> that may be used for receiving an indication for a transmission scheme. 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>, the display <NUM>, the transmitter <NUM>, and the receiver <NUM> may be substantially similar to the processor <NUM>, the memory <NUM>, the input device <NUM>, the display <NUM>, the transmitter <NUM>, and the receiver <NUM> of the remote unit <NUM>, respectively.

In some embodiments, the receiver <NUM> may receive an indication of a transmission scheme from a remote unit <NUM>. In such embodiments, the indication may be based on the transmission scheme, and the transmission scheme may be for the remote unit <NUM> transmitting a first channel. In certain embodiments, the processor <NUM> may: determine a duration between an uplink transmission and a downlink transmission; compare the duration to a threshold duration; and/or determine a transmission scheme for a remote unit <NUM> transmitting a channel based on the comparison between the duration and the threshold duration. 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> is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method <NUM> for transmitting an indication for a transmission scheme. 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.

The method <NUM> may include determining <NUM> a transmission scheme for transmitting a first channel. In certain embodiments, the method <NUM> includes transmitting <NUM> an indication of the transmission scheme to a base unit <NUM>. In such embodiments, the indication may be based on the transmission scheme.

In one embodiment, transmitting the indication includes encoding the indication and carrying the encoded indication in the first channel. In a further embodiment, transmitting the indication includes masking a cyclic redundancy check of the first channel using the indication. In certain embodiments, the indication is an implicit indication in response to the transmission scheme indicating that the first channel is not transmitted. In various embodiments, transmitting the indication of the transmission scheme to the base unit based on the transmission scheme includes transmitting the first channel based on the transmission scheme. In some embodiments, the transmission scheme is selected from a group including: transmitting a second channel and performing rate matching of the second channel around the first channel; transmitting a second channel and puncturing the second channel by the first channel; transmitting the first channel without transmitting a second channel; transmitting a second channel and puncturing the second channel by resource elements carrying the indication without transmitting the first channel; and/or transmitting a second channel without the indication and without the first channel.

<FIG> is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method <NUM> for determining a transmission scheme. 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.

The method <NUM> may include determining <NUM> a duration between an uplink transmission and a downlink transmission. The method <NUM>, in some embodiments, includes comparing <NUM> the duration to a threshold duration. In various embodiments, the method <NUM> includes determining <NUM> a transmission scheme for transmitting a channel based on the comparison between the duration and the threshold duration.

In one embodiment, in response to the duration being greater than the threshold duration, the transmission scheme for transmitting the channel includes transmitting the channel using rate matching. In a further embodiment, in response to the duration being less than the threshold duration, the transmission scheme for transmitting the channel includes transmitting the channel using puncturing. In certain embodiments, the threshold duration is configured by a base unit. In various embodiments, the threshold duration is predetermined.

In some embodiments, the uplink transmission is an uplink scheduling transmission and the downlink transmission is a downlink scheduling transmission. In one embodiment, the uplink transmission is an uplink scheduling transmission and the downlink transmission includes a trigger. In a further embodiment, the uplink transmission corresponds to the downlink transmission.

<FIG> is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method <NUM> for receiving an indication for a transmission scheme. 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 receiving <NUM> an indication of a transmission scheme from a remote unit <NUM>. In such an embodiment, the indication may be based on the transmission scheme, and the transmission scheme may be for the remote unit transmitting a first channel.

In one embodiment, the indication is encoded and carried in the first channel. In a further embodiment, the indication is used to mask a cyclic redundancy check of the first channel. In certain embodiments, the indication is an implicit indication in response to the transmission scheme indicating that the first channel is not transmitted from the remote unit. In various embodiments, receiving the indication of the transmission scheme from the remote unit includes receiving the first channel based on the transmission scheme. In some embodiments, the transmission scheme is selected from a group including: the remote unit transmitting a second channel and performing rate matching of the second channel around the first channel; the remote unit transmitting a second channel and puncturing the second channel by the first channel; the remote unit transmitting the first channel without transmitting a second channel; the remote unit transmitting a second channel and puncturing the second channel by resource elements carrying the indication without the remote unit transmitting the first channel; and/or the remote unit transmitting a second channel without the indication and without the first channel.

<FIG> is a schematic flow chart diagram illustrating another embodiment of a method <NUM> for determining a transmission scheme. 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 determining <NUM> a duration between an uplink transmission and a downlink transmission. The method <NUM>, in some embodiments, includes comparing <NUM> the duration to a threshold duration. In various embodiments, the method <NUM> includes determining <NUM> a transmission scheme for a remote unit <NUM> transmitting a channel based on the comparison between the duration and the threshold duration.

In one embodiment, in response to the duration being greater than the threshold duration, the transmission scheme for the remote unit <NUM> transmitting the channel includes the remote unit <NUM> transmitting the channel using rate matching. In a further embodiment, in response to the duration being less than the threshold duration, the transmission scheme for the remote unit <NUM> transmitting the channel includes the remote unit <NUM> transmitting the channel using puncturing. In certain embodiments, the threshold duration is configured by a base unit <NUM>. In various embodiments, the threshold duration is predetermined.

Claim 1:
A method comprising:
determining (<NUM>) a transmission scheme for transmitting a first channel; and
transmitting (<NUM>) an indication of the transmission scheme to a base unit, wherein the indication is based on the transmission scheme;
characterised in that the transmission scheme is selected from a group comprising:
transmitting a second channel and performing rate matching of the second channel around the first channel;
transmitting a second channel and puncturing the second channel by the first channel; and
transmitting a second channel and puncturing the second channel by resource elements carrying the indication without transmitting the first channel,
wherein the first channel is an uplink control information, UCI, channel and the second channel is a physical uplink shared channel, PUSCH.